Overview

• The regulator said 158 viewers objected to violent content in an episode that aired on August 21 before the 9pm watershed.
• The disputed scenes were part of an ongoing villain-led arc that some viewers criticised as too graphic for early evening.
• ITV has not addressed the complaints or clarified whether the storyline involves a permanent exit for a key character.
• Speculation about the character’s fate has intensified, with fans citing ambiguous on-screen clues and recent dialogue.
• This follows a separate wave of roughly 279 complaints earlier in August over another storyline, highlighting continued concern about tone and timing.