Coronation Street producer Kate Oates has had to defend the show’s male rape storyline.
The upcoming plot depicts David Platt (Jack P Shephard) being assaulted by Josh Tucker (Ryan Clayton) after he spikes his drink.
While the soap has been praised for tackling real-life issues like sexual assault, drug addiction, and domestic violence, some viewers have criticised Corrie for deliberating trying to shock its audience.
Oates said today that the show is in “great health” and that they are choosing to address these issues because the show is “first and foremost a drama.”
Speaking on Good Morning Britain, she said:
“We’re telling stories and some stories are challenging and that’s the way it’s always been.
“Male sexual assault happens… We know from research that men take in excess of 25 years to disclose when a male sexual assault happens to them. This needs discussion.”
Oates went on to say that the show often suggests more than they depict in the knowledge that they broadcast before the watershed.
She also added that Coronation Street is still very much a family show.
“We suggest often a lot more than we show, very deliberately.
“The show isn’t designed for very young children. But I think it is still, to a certain extent, family viewing.”
Most the recent criticism around Corrie has come from the Pat Phelan storyline which has seen multiple scenes of violence broadcast on ITV before 9pm.
