The BBC has responded after an immigration storyline sparked fierce backlash.
The BBC has responded after an immigration storyline sparked fierce backlash (Picture: Getty)
The BBC has been compelled to defend one in all its flagship dramas after a fierce political row erupted over a storyline critics declare paints involved residents as extremists. Sunday night time’s episode of The Seize triggered instant backlash on-line, with viewers, politicians and public figures accusing the company of pushing “propaganda” after a personality was investigated by counter-terror police over his views on migration and his use of Freedom of Info (FOI) requests. As outrage snowballed, the BBC issued a press release insisting the plot was purely fictional.
A spokesperson mentioned: “It is a fictional drama and the character of James Whitlock just isn’t based mostly on any particular person particular person.” The controversy centres on the character James Whitlock, performed by Joe Dempsie, who turns into a safety goal after a string of on-line exercise. Within the episode, officers flag that Whitlock submitted 9 separate FOI requests whereas in jail — a revelation that visibly alarms investigator Rachel Carey, portrayed by Holliday Grainger.
The workforce’s concern deepens once they uncover his on-line posts accusing the federal government of hiding statistics about undocumented migrants. In a single video, Whitlock describes small-boat arrivals as a “land invasion” and declares that “civilians are allowed to combat again”.
One other extensively shared clip reveals him aiming a rifle at a migrant boat, briefly inserting a mom and little one in his sights — a second that fuelled claims the programme was demonising political dissent.
Reform UK chairman Zia Yusuf blasted the portrayal on X, writing: “Hello BBC, the federal government is protecting up the true prices of unlawful migrants, and sending Freedom of Info Requests to the Dwelling Workplace doesn’t make you a terrorist.”
He added: “It makes you a extremely helpful citizen. I encourage individuals to do it.”
Different distinguished figures piled in. Comic Graham Linehan claimed he had beforehand been focused by BBC writers, posting: “The BBC did the identical to me with one in all their afternoon soaps.
“The writers on ‘Docs’ referred to as a divorced character ‘Graham’, and made him the transphobic dangerous man. I can’t imagine I’m not making this up.”
GB Information presenter Alex Armstrong additionally condemned the episode, posting: “Wow. They aren’t even making an attempt to cover the propaganda anymore.”
He continued: “The actual difficulty is that that is so removed from the reality of actuality. What number of assaults towards unlawful migrants vs unlawful migrant assaults towards residents? Disgrace on the BBC for airing this.”
Regardless of the fury, creator Ben Chanan has defended tackling the problem, saying real-world occasions inevitably form the present’s storylines.
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Talking to Radio Instances, he defined: “I feel no matter’s happening within the information whereas I’m writing The Seize will get eaten up and chewed out in some type.”
He added that immigration had dominated headlines whereas he was growing the collection, saying audiences have been “significantly obsessed” with the subject.
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