what an inappropriate and disturbing comment!

I too find it distasteful. Yes, under-age sex does happen but somehow if it's between two youngsters of a similar age it seems more acceptable. What I find worrying is showing a married man (albeit separated from his wife) sleeping with a girl of 14/15. Daz's comment was spot-on. Presumably if Cain finds out, Andy will be dead meat, but in real-life it would be a matter for the police with the man involved possibly being sent to prison. This isn't a portrayal of teen sex, but an adult being seen to take advantage of a child's vulnerability. (And, yes, I know Debbie is shown as the instigator, but the law on under-age sex is there to protect all under-sixteens, regardless of their characters.)

And I find Charity's attitude a bit odd, because of her own past. I'd have thought she'd have wanted Debbie to avoid making the same mistakes as she'd done, not encouraging her. Though I doubt even she'd be so approving if she knew who Debbie had actually had sex with.

although i agree. i odnt think andy is fully thinking it through. what did he think daz would say? oh well done mate?
andy likes debbie, that much is obvious, i actually thought that once they slept together that was it, but it would appear not. guess he cant choose who he likes though....

I think Andy feels lonely because since he shot his father no one gives him the time of day - but thats still no excuse to sleep with a 14 year old girl, even if it is offered to you on a plate.

And Debbies on a mission to prove to people that shes not a little girl,
Last edited by TheSarge : 18-09-2004 at 13:05

Andy is probably even more vulnerable than Debbie, given what has happened to him recently. It's interesting that they used him, rather than a more 'obvious' character like Robert (who we know has few morals), it makes the storyline more complex. I don't exactly find it disturbing or distasteful, as he obviously likes her, and he's only a couple of years older than her. He couldn't be accused of 'using her' in any way - quite the reverse, as she is using him to get at Ethan. I feel sorry for him, it will end more badly for him than for her. He'll be a dead man once Cain finds out.

Yes, I totally agree Andy is vulnerable and Debbie is using him to get back at Ethan. But the point is that that's not an excuse for his sleeping with her, since he knows what age she is. We (the viewers) know the story and have sympathy for Andy's unhappiness and lonliness, but he is still wrong to do something that is morally and legally wrong.

Think about it: if you had a 14-year-old daughter and you found out a loney local man, separated from his wife, was sleeping with her would you excuse him because of his lonliness, etc? I'm not a parent but I know girls of Debbie's age and I know how their parents would feel about any man who did this. They'd be off to the police or social services or whatever and the man would find himself in real trouble. Andy isn't stupid and knows perfectly well that what he's doing is wrong. Just as Ethan knew after the kiss, but he had the sense to not let it go any further. (Though I don't know that he and Debbie won't end up in bed together at some time in the future.) The storyline is interesting, but I feel uneasy about it, especially in a programme shown in the early evening and watched by many youngsters.

Guys, don't you know it by now, they can show anything on Emmerdale because it's an ITV production, but if it had been on Home & Away or Shortland Street, they would have edited out all the scenes with Debs and Andy (and the scenes referring to them), that's ITV for you, pure scum.

Considering all he has done and taking into consideration that he has got away with most of it scot free, I have no sympathy for him at all. Please exclude me from the "We"

The Beeb do the same thing with Neighbours, msf .

The other point i want to make is under the current law even though what Andy is doing is illegal - he would probably not be seriously punished by the Law, but either given a small sentence or some kind of Rehabilitation - sad but true.

Plus I doubt the Dingles would get the Police involved and are more likely to punish Andythemselves.

yes I know, they recently edited out the scene where Rocco put Connor in the boot of his car. BBC1 is a rubbish channel anyway. I like BBC2 and 3 better.
I don't think Five would have done that though.

OK, you're excluded.

PS I can't get the smilies to work. Advice, anybody?

I thought these comments only came from people who had nothing better to do than complain.

To be honest if you think that was disturbing then you are quite ignorant, considering most 14/15 year olds are at it anyway, I don't see anything distasteful about this at all.

It's hardly porn is it

erm, what's distasteful about porn ?

Nothing at all but I think on ITV1 there would be a fair few calls to OFCOM about it don't you.

I think "Bad Girls" and "Footballers' wives" are distasteful.

The difference between our viewpoints is that I still can't view Andy as 'a man' although he is in a legal sense. He still very much looks like a 'boy' (is he 18 or 19?). If it was someone twice her age, I would agree with you, but Andy is very close to her in age (and not particularly mature).

I think the reason Andy makes bad choices like sleeping with Debbie is a legacy of all the crap he has been involved in (a lot of it his own fault, but accidental - more bad choices). He is a nice guy who has done bad things, but I do think his character is drifting a bit now - I am not quite sure what direction the writers have in mind for him in the medium term.

Soaps portray real life, and stuff like the Debbie / Andy situation happens.If you don't like the idea that this may happen near you, get thee to a nunnery / monestry !

iagree, it does happen and it is important that it is shown.

I take your point. I've only been watching Emmerdale for a matter of months so have only ever seen Andy as an adult (I don't know his age) and a married though separated man. Perhaps if I'd seen him as a schoolboy I could think of him as a boy rather than a man. I like him much better than Robert and hope the scriptwriters aren't intending to turn him into a 'baddie'.

All kinds of stuff happen in real life that I don't particularly want to see in a soap shown at 7 pm.

Well no one's pointing a gun at you're head saying you have to watch it. In fact turning off may do you more good than complaining, which gets them free publicity- and ofcom wouldn't give them anymore than a light slap on the wrist anyway. Losing viewers would hurt em though.

The bbc cutting neighbours thing I find interesting. I wonder what the hell they're going to do with....

If none of us ever complained about anything in the soaps - be it plots, actors, mistakes, whatever - this would be a dull forum indeed! I hope we're all adult enough not to resort to 'Shut up or switch off' remarks. I enjoy Emmerdale in general but find an adult sleeping with a 14-year-old girl distasteful - ok?

On the subject of Filth im Edale. Can someone please remind me who Sarah Sugdens lover was

Ritchie the lodger .

between who??