Ronnie Mitchell (Samantha Janus Womack)

[parkerman]

Even in the East End of London it can't be that common to kidnap a child

EVEN in the East End?????????????????????????????????????????

[Dazzle]

...but why would anybody want to replace their dead baby with somebody else's child?

That's my thinking too - your child is irreplaceable and if it died the last thing you'd want to do would be to swap it with another child. I'd be interested to know if this has ever happened in real life. I bet it hasn't.

[Abigail]

EVEN in the East End?????????????????????????????????????????

Not sure of your tone but I'll qualify my comment anyway. I was perhaps being a tad prejudicial as I don't recall visiting the East End, however it's portrayed as the "rough end" of London with a high crime rate.That's not really qualifying my statement, I was speaking about an area that I know little about. I apologise.

[tammyy2j]

I would think the deceased baby's parents wouldnt want to let them go let alone swap the baby for another

[Chloe O'brien]

You know I didn't watch EE over the festive season so I can't comment on the way the issue was handled. What I will say is that maybe it's time for all the writers of soaps to have a good long look at themselves and the plots they come up with. I will agree that there has been some issues over the years that have been well handled but most of the time stories are highlighted just to boost viewing figures without doing proper research. EE should never had the baby swap storyline they way they did it was insensitive.

[Abigail]

EE should never had the baby swap storyline they way they did it was insensitive.

Not to mention, who swaps babies?! I can't think of any cases around the world where this has happened. Why give your dead baby to somebody else? Surely you'd want to bury him and make sure he was safe. It just doesn't make sense at all.

If they'd have done the cot death part on its own and done it well, EE would have won over viewers and reached out to thousands of families that have lost a child to cot death. Instead they come up with this insane storyline that has probably never happened anywhere in the world.

[alan45]

Deadenders controversial baby swap storyline has become the most complained-about plot in the soap's history.

8,400 viewers have now contacted the BBC to raise concerns over the current story centring around Ronnie Branning's (Samantha Womack) decision to switch her dead son with Kat Moon's (Jessie Wallace) newborn child.

347 complaints have also been made to the broadcasting regulator Ofcom, though it is understood that the watchdog currently has no plans to launch an official investigation into the matter.

In another eventful day for the Walford show, it was confirmed this afternoon that the storyline will now be brought to an early end due to the backlash, possibly as early as April.

Meanwhile, EastEnders' executive producer Bryan Kirkwood has issued a fresh statement in response to the row, insisting that the aim of the plot is to "tell a strong story that would, in the telling, raise the profile of cot death in the UK".

Kirkwood also confirmed the outcome of the story, assuring fans that Kat will be "reunited with her child" in the months ahead.

The death of Ronnie's daughter Danielle Jones in a car accident had previously held EastEnders' complaints record, attracting 7,000 in April 2009.

[Chloe O'brien]

This storyline is going to have a huge impact on EE in the coming months. you don't have to have suffered a cot-death in the family to be affected or angered but this story. It's time all soaps had a long think about what issues they use in the name of enteratinment. I can see EE parting with a whole load of cash for charity or heads will roll.

[tammyy2j]

There is an article on todays Irish News of the World newspaper where Sam is blaming the soaps supremos and that is she in a hell over it

[Dazzle]

There is an article on todays Irish News of the World newspaper where Sam is blaming the soaps supremos and that is she in a hell over it

She says she fears leaving the house because some people can't separate fact from fiction and are blaming her for it. Stupid people