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Originally Posted by parkerman
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Originally Posted by parkerman
Coronation Street bosses have defended Owen Armstrong and Faye Butler's slapping storyline following complaints over Monday night's episodes.
Earlier this week, viewers saw Owen slap Faye (Ellie-Louise Leach) twice on the back of the legs as a punishment after discovering that she had poured creosote into his fish pond, killing his new pets.
The incident occurred after Anna Windass asked Owen to look after her adopted daughter Faye for the night while she was dealing with a family emergency. Anna and Owen have been in a relationship for a few months.
However, The Mirror reports that ITV and media regulator Ofcom have both received complaints over the decision to broadcast the scenes.
Meanwhile, Phillip Noyes of the NSPCC told the newspaper: "Parents can obviously be pushed to the limit on occasion, but there are more positive ways of correcting a child's behaviour than smacking them.
"It simply sets a bad example and teaches children that violence is a solution. Children tell us it leaves them scared and confused and the NSPCC believes it simply gives out the wrong message and breaks down the trust between child and parent."
Coronation Street chiefs have defended the storyline, which will continue in upcoming episodes as Owen's actions are criticised by Anna and his own daughters Izzy and Katy.
A show spokesperson commented: "We most certainly don't condone Owen's actions - as will be seen by the ramifications of the slap, and the effect it has on his relationship."
Debbie Rush, who plays Anna, recently told Digital Spy that her character will be horrified when she learns what Owen has done.
Rush explained: "Anna is absolutely devastated, because she really trusted Owen. Anna doesn't believe in smacking children full-stop - she's part of the 'Full Stop' campaign. So she's absolutely distraught and devastated that Owen has done this."
Meanwhile, Ian Puleston-Davies - who plays Owen - has said that show bosses considered the plot carefully at all stages.
He commented last week: "I think any controversial subject handled in the right way is good controversy, not bad controversy. I know it was talked about within the writing group and with the producers at length, so they were very careful.
"I was very aware that I wanted to go through the script with a fine-tooth comb... From the moment it was suggested, they took it very carefully and very slowly, so it took a long time to reach the script stage, and rightly so. I'm happy with the finished result."
Coronation Street continues on Thursday at 8.30pm on ITV1.
Coronation Street star Ian Puleston-Davies has said that he is "disappointed" by criticism directed at his character Owen Armstrong's child smacking storyline.
Earlier this week, viewers saw Owen slap 9-year-old Faye Butler (Ellie-Louise Leach) on the back of the legs as a punishment after discovering that she had killed his fish by pouring creosote into their pond.
The scenes were broadcast in Monday night's double bill of the soap, but ITV and media regulator Ofcom have since received complaints over the plot.
Speaking on Loose Women today, Puleston-Davies explained: "I was fully prepared for filming the scene because this wasn't an easy decision to take. The producers, the writers, everyone from top to bottom, thought long and hard - and discussed at length - about whether this storyline should be written.
"It wasn't an easy decision, but we thought it was a topic that maybe needed to be aired. It always continues to need to be aired, it needs to be debated and I'm a little disappointed that there are certain people saying this shouldn't be written.
"Well, these things happen behind closed doors whether we like it or not. So let's show it, let us be the storytellers - we're only the messengers, so don't shoot us. But let us certainly be the storytellers, we'll put it out there and you lot discuss it and hopefully learn from your own reactions."
Puleston-Davies, who is a father-of-two, added that he does not agree with Owen's actions.
"I think there are obviously a lot of grey areas," he continued. "I'm glad I played it in a way that showed I was out of control, because it wasn't a controlled, obedient, 'This is naughty', slap on the back of the legs - because that would be too easy to, in a way, condone.
"I wanted to show that yes, he did only slap Faye on the back of the legs, but look how angry he was - look how out of control he was… I don't believe that I ever need to hit my children."
Forthcoming episodes of Coronation Street will see Owen's decision have huge repercussions as his girlfriend Anna - Faye's adopted mother - is horrified when she finds out about the slap.
A Coronation Street spokesperson today said: "We most certainly don't condone Owen's actions - as will be seen by the ramifications of the slap, and the effect it has on his relationship."
Coronation Street continues on Thursday night at 8.30pm on ITV1.
Coronation Street star Debbie Rush has revealed that she shares her character's anti-smacking views.
The actress's alter ego Anna Windass is left horrified later this week as she discovers that her boyfriend Owen (Ian Puleston-Davies) has slapped her adopted daughter Faye (Ellie-Louise Leach) on the back of the legs.
Owen carried out the punishment in Monday night's double bill of the soap after finding out that Faye had used creosote to poison his fish pond, killing his new pets.
Anna's romance with Owen will hit the rocks in upcoming episodes as she is furious over his behaviour.
Asked whether she would feel the same way in real life, Rush told Loose Women today: "Completely 100%. That's why I was so passionate about doing it. It was written beautifully, but it was so easy to deliver from my point of view, because I meant every word of it."
The mum-of-three continued: "I think if you smack a child, you're smacking a child because they've done something that you disagree with and that you're not happy with. If you smack a woman, you're smacking a woman because you disagree… and I think to smack a child is the same as to smack a woman. It's because you don't like what they've done, so you're letting them know."
Rush added that she feels Owen's actions were particularly wrong as Faye is not his daughter.
"He's only a boyfriend - it's not his place, full stop," she commented.
Rush recently told Digital Spy that the storyline's repercussions would be huge for Anna and Owen.
"Anna is absolutely devastated, because she really trusted Owen," she explained. "Anna doesn't believe in smacking children full-stop - she's part of the 'Full Stop' campaign. So she's absolutely distraught and devastated that Owen has done this."
Coronation Street continues on Thursday at 8.30pm on ITV1.
Coronation Street's Kylie Platt puts on the performance of her life as she feigns a health scare at the medical centre in tonight's double bill of the soap.
Kylie (Paula Lane) is determined to help Becky (Katherine Kelly) in her quest to access Tracy's records, so she distracts Doctor Carter's attention at the surgery by pretending to collapse.
While Doctor Carter (Oliver Mellor) is busy dealing with the situation, Becky sneaks into his office - armed with details about the computer system that unlikely ally Gail (Helen Worth) has given to her.
As Becky logs into Tracy's (Kate Ford) file, it looks like it could be the beginning of the end for her arch-rival's wicked lies…