EastEnders' controversial cot death storyline has become the most complained-about plot in the soap's 26-year history. The episodes, in which Ronnie Branning loses her baby and swaps him with Kat and Alfie Moon's newborn son Tommy, prompted 8,400 complaints to the BBC and 374 to media regulator Ofcom.
In response to the unprecedented backlash, executive producer Bryan Kirkwood took the unusual step of revealing the climax early to appease viewers, and the BBC confirmed it will bring the baby swap saga to a premature end in the spring.
Kirkwood defended the plot, saying it fits into the show's tradition of 'dealing with social issues in a powerful and dramatic way'. He added that it 'never set out to upset its audience' and said the show has received positive responses from people who have been through similar experiences.
Jana Bennett, BBC Vision director, also entered the row, stating the storyline had been 'sensitively handled' and that the show was 'absolutely not suggesting' that Ronnie's behaviour was typical of a bereaved mother. The comments came after parenting website Mumsnet wrote to director general Mark Thompson describing the plot as cynical and ill-informed.
