Viewers have complained about the controversial storyline in their thousands, and now the actress has reportedly resigned from her role
Eastenders actress Samantha Womack has reportedly quit the hit soap over a controversial cot death storyline, which has prompted more than 6,000 complaints from viewers.
It’s thought the heartbreaking plot – which has been unfolding since New Year’s eve – was one step too far for the actress, who reportedly handed in her notice as soon as she received the script.
The latest episodes have seen seen Samantha’s character Ronnie Branning suddenly lose her baby, James, to cot death.
She is then pictured swapping her dead child for the live son of Kat Moon, played by actress Jesse Wallace.
The mother-of-two is said to have told bosses she was leaving the show ‘as a mother first and an actress second,’ and failed to be swayed by offers of money, and uplifting storylines, to stay. ‘The last couple of months at work have been awful for Sam. The first time she read the script, she thought it was wrong and pushed boundaries too far,’ one insider told The Sun.
‘It was such a sensitive issue, she knew it would cause a huge backlash.’
'She wrote a letter on the day she read it and made it clear to bosses she thought it was wrong. They persuaded her to stay and film the scenes, but she will leave in May.
'She saw the story as a mother first and an actress second, which made her realise things had gone too far.'
Eastenders is no stranger to a controversial storyline. But the latest harrowing series of events have prompted viewers to complain to the BBC, and TV Watchdog Ofcom in their thousands.
Show bosses have contined to stand by the shows, revealing a statement: 'We appreciate this is a challenging storyline and have taken care to ensure viewers were aware of the content before transmission.’
Do you think the Eastenders storyline has gone too far? And was Samantha Womack right to resign? Let us know your thoughts in the comments box below.