Eastenders kidnap plot scrapped

[Jojo]

A storyline about a missing baby in BBC soap EastEnders is being rewritten because of similarities with the Madeleine McCann case in Portugal.

The plot was due to revolve around Kara Tointon's character Dawn Swann, who is currently pregnant in the programme.

"It was felt any storyline that included child abduction would be inappropriate and could cause distress to our viewers," a spokeswoman said.

Coronation Street also changed a story following Madeleine's disappearance.

The four-year-old from Rothley, Leicestershire, went missing in the Algarve on 3 May.

Love triangle

EastEnders said its story would undergo a "substantial rewrite" before it was broadcast over the summer.

The scenes involve Swann, her lover Rob Minter, played by Stuart Laing, and his wife Dr May Wright, played by Amanda Drew.

In the show, the trio are caught in a love triangle. Minter left his wife last December after she attempted to buy Swann's unborn baby.

Coronation Street's story about a kidnapped child is currently on air, but has been significantly scaled back.

'Disturbing similarities'

Scenes from forthcoming episodes were due to feature the child's mother, Claire Peacock, at press conferences clutching her baby's teddy and handing out photos of her son, Freddie.

A Coronation Street spokeswoman said: "There were some quite disturbing similarities to the situation in Portugal and we didn't want to add to the torment of Madeleine's parents."

A number of UK law enforcement agencies are helping the Portuguese authorities in their search for the four-year-old girl.

Portuguese police have also confirmed they are investigating claims of a possible sighting of Madeleine in Morocco.

[Abbie]

I knew about corrie but didnt realise that eastenders was pallning one as well

[Jojo]

I thought it must have been one of the possibilities, with hearing about how unhinged May is becoming with all of whats happening - not sure how they are going to end the story now though....:hmm:

[Abbie]

Yeh I suppose when you look at the way May is, it is possible

[Chloe O'brien]

Under the circumstances I think both Corrie and EE are right to drop the kidnap plots from there storylines, which is a shame because I think this could have been a great scoop for EE. If they had been able to screen this story.

[Abbie]

Yeh i think because of the situation they were right to scrap them, but i think it would of been a good end and storyline for mad may to show her desperation, but they have made the right choice

[Kim]

Me neither, JoJo. It seemed the obvious ending to the plot with the way she was still crossing off the days on that calendar in the nursery.

I'm not sure how they would have been able to handle it with figures of recent, but the crash was good, and I am loving the twists in the May story, especially with her twisting it, accusing Naomi, and forcing her to leave Walford.

[megan999]

I am confused because I heard that they were dropping the kidnap plot, and then when I went to the shops on tuesday they had magazines saying Dawn:don't take my baby, and showing pics of her and Rob and May on the front covers. Have the producers changed their minds, and decided to run the story after all? Maybe they have toned it down from the original idea or something. :searchme::searchme: