Broadcasting watchdog Ofcom has been inundated with over 250 viewer complaints regarding ITV’s Emmerdale following the transmission of controversial pre-watershed content on August 12.
The complaints centred on disturbing scenes featuring character Vinny Dingle, portrayed by Bradley Johnson, who suffered a brutal homophobic assault.
The attack occurred after Vinny arranged to meet a man called Mike, played by Macaulay Cooper, through an online platform.
The episode aired during the soap’s regular 7:30pm slot on ITV1, well before the 9pm watershed. Viewers expressed outrage at the graphic nature of the violence shown during what has traditionally been considered family viewing time.
The assault unfolded after Vinny had confided in Mike about experiencing confusion regarding his sexuality.
Believing he had found someone undergoing similar struggles, Vinny had invited Mike to meet after they connected through what appeared to be a support network.
Mike’s true intentions became apparent when he violently attacked Vinny before demanding £10,000.
The assailant threatened to expose Vinny’s doubts about his sexuality to his fiancée, Gabby Thomas, played by Rosie Bentham.
The brutal encounter left Vinny severely injured and lying on the floor. During the assault, Mike also stole wedding rings belonging to Vinny and Gabby, adding theft to his crimes.
Following 279 complaints, an Ofcom representative confirmed: “Complaints objected to violent and sexual content before the watershed.”
The storyline’s repercussions continued when Gabby caught the end of a confrontation between Vinny and his friend Kammy Hadiq, portrayed by Shebz Miah.
Vinny had deliberately provoked this altercation, making Kammy an unwitting scapegoat for his injuries.
Gabby subsequently confronted Kammy at The Hide, warning: “I’ve told him he needs to report it to the police. Lucky for you, he’s not going to. He’s adamant on dropping it. You’re a vicious psycho. I don’t wanna see your face in here again.”
When Kammy later demanded honesty from Vinny, he declared himself “done” with their friendship and stormed off.
Social media erupted with divided opinions following the broadcast.
One viewer wrote: “I’ve fired off a complaint to Ofcom- disgusted with how what used to be a family show has morphed into something that seems to be trying to to show as much violence and depravity as it can squeeze into each programme. 7.30 is far too early to show this sort of muck.”
I think we should all complain to @ofcom about the level of sadism and violence in tonight’s #emmerdale. It was unacceptable, especially for a soap opera, before the watershed and not even the usual “warnings” @ITV
— JeanieThePixieNurse (@JeanieThePixie) August 12, 2025
Meanwhile, others defended the programme’s right to tackle difficult subjects.
Bradley Johnson expressed astonishment at the storyline’s direction, stating: “When I first got told it was a complete shock to me as I had no idea that was the avenue they were going to go down with Vinny.”