Spoiler: Viewers complain over "shocking" Downton Abbey episode

Viewers were shocked and distressed when Anna May Bates was attacked and raped by a guest’s valet.

14:48 08 October 2013

ITV and broadcasting watchdog Ofcom have received over 50 complaints regarding the latest episode of Downtown Abbey that was broadcasted on Sunday.

Although there was a warning alerting viewers about the upsetting scenes before the episode was aired to over 9 million viewers, it seemed that it wasn’t enough to prepare the viewers when Anna May Bates (Joanne Froggatt) was attacked and raped by a guest’s valet while the rest of servants, guests, and family were watching an opera performance downstairs.

Viewer Lucy Raine tweeted: "I am genuinely so distressed at what just happened on Downton Abbey I feel sick."

While Jennifer Durie tweeted: "I don't think I will ever forgive the writers of Downton Abbey for what they did to Anna."

However, it seems that it was exactly what the show was trying to achieve. Nigel Harman, who played attacker Mr Green, said that the intention was to shock during an interview with ITV’s This Morning. He said: "It was a shocking and bold storyline.”

He added: "I'd worked with Joanne Froggatt and Brendan Coyle before and we had a rehearsal and went for it. And what we wanted to do was to try and not signal about what was to come.

 

"We went for something - as it would be in real life - very shocking."