Completely agree.

EastEnders should never pander to the "I'm offended" brigade that populate Mumsnet and Mail Online.

It's the people who complain that ruin the show for the rest of us, it's pathetic.

It's the hypocrisy that bugs me. EastEnders depicts fights, murders, shootings and these keyboard warriors don't bat an eyelid. But the moment somebody swears, or heaven forbid two men kiss, then it's "OMG BAN THIS FILTH".

If you're worried about your kids watching things you deem inappropriate, then just don't let them watch it. Don't punish everyone else for your own shitty parenting.

Exactly

She should come on tonight and say bastard, bastard, bastard, bastard, la la la, f**karoo. Get over it you tory fcuks..

i do wonder what habitual complainers want from society, in this case tv. is their desire to have everything pre-watershed 100% suitable for children of all ages? if yes then houston we have a problem!

my 8 year old nephew's favourite word at present is 'boner' and, come hell or high water, if he can find a way to fit that word into a sentence he will

Perhaps the same people do complain about violence too. Why assume that they don't?

Where were the complaints when Shirley shot Phil? Or when Mick beat the crap out of Dean?

i never thought of "bastard! as being a swear word anyway

My view is that Carol's line in last night's episode was very effective, partly because it was so apt and because of Lindsey Coulson's spot-on delivery, but also because she used language that is rarely used in EastEnders. If they had casual swearing in every episode, that line would not have been nearly as effective.

Yes! Precisely.

The word bitch is used quite often, it'll be interesting to see the outcome of the complaints

Any complainers seriously need to get out more!

Is it technically a swear word if it's used to refer to an illegitimate child?

I think they should repeat the 1985 episode where Ali, Alan, Saeed, Naima and Lofty confront Nick. Then see what complaints the get.

It's as if the writer didn't have any more words left to use so put in a swear word to fill in the gap. Eastenders deserve a wrap on the knuckles for this it's called a watershed for a reason.

Is the violence ok then? Do we need to cut everything out of the show that makes it real and even slightly gritty?

Does anyone remember the Sharon & Michelle 2 hander from I think 1988. The words Bastard, D#@*head and W€%ker were all used in that ep, I also remember Andy McDonald calling Jim a drunken selfish bastard years ago. (I'm sure it was the same ep that Don Brennan drove him and Alma into the canal.) We really have gone so soft.

Oh, that sounds good!

I imagine it was quite different to what we're used to.
I may have imagined this but I have a vague memory of Wicksy slapping Pat after she called a girl he liked a p**i.

Roy Evans called his son, Nathan Williams (the product of an affair), a "bast***d" too in the 1990s, I seem to recall.

And yes, EastEnders was far more laissez faire about swearing and racism in its scripts back in the halcyon, non-PC days of the 1980s. It was due in part to this that EastEnders gained a reputation for grittiness and realism that distinguished it from other soaps.

It's good to see the writers being allowed to get some of their balls back, so to speak.

I knew it would get complaints. please EE, repeat the scene again tonight, right at the start.

That would be great. I was shocked when Carol said it but I was like 'woooo, go Carol'

I love how EE is mostly making headlines because of complaints, it's actually quite funny

People who claim to be offended are more than likely never actually offended by what they claim to be offended by. They're more likely to complain on behalf of those who are offended but can't be bothered moaning to OFCOM or anyone else. If it's basically "oh but it's a naughty word that kids might hear", well so what, they'll hear the same (and possibly worse) at school, out in day to day life, etc, so really this whole "i'm offended" nonsense is just that, complete and utter nonsense.

As I said in an earlier post, 29 complaints out of millions of viewers is negligible. I don't know why so many people are getting so worked up about the fact that a tiny number of people have complained. The language didn't bother me but I accept that a small number of people will find it offensive and they are entitled to their opinion. I don't expect everyone to share my views.