Midsomer Murders faces backlash over 'woke' fetish storyline
Midsomer Murders sparked controversy with an upcoming storyline surrounding OnlyFans and featuring a Coronation Street star.
Midsomer Murders has got another controversial storyline in store.
It was announced this week that the ITV show would be getting its first ever OnlyFans-style storyline - about a woman in her 60s catering to high heel fetishists.
Comedian Helen Lederer is to turn 70 this year, but in the show she'll be taking to the internet to sell provocative photos - and even her old shoes. The episode, which will be the first of its kind for Midsomer Murders, is expected to air this summer.
The actress told The Sun of her upcoming role: "I’m selling my shoes to fetishists [and] had to perfect a turn of the ankle." Helen, who also guest starred in Coronation Street this year as a love interest for Ken Barlow (William Roache), she added that she "wasn’t surprised" to have been offered the "interesting" role.
It's barely been ten days since the debut episode from the latest Midsomer Murders series aired. Yet some fans have already been taking to Twitter to express fears about the show's future amid claims of deteriorating storylines and "bad acting".
For some, a "cringey" OnlyFans plot could be the final nail in the coffin. "Why oh why? Why do producers feel they have to “improve” a formula that worked for 22 seasons?" one lamented in a tweet.
READ MORE: Midsomer Murders' schedule replacement confirmed as ITV series pulled off air [LATEST]
"The 1st episode of the new #MidsomerMurders is simply not good. Story is too far-fetched & not relating to English country life. Director & artists did their best to salvage it but…"
A second chimed in: "I have watched #MidsomerMurders since the very first episode in 1997, but the current cast needs a serious overhaul if the show is to survive. Bad actors, main characters with no personalities are ruining the show along with bad writing."
A third agreed: "Possibly the worst #midsomermurders I've ever seen... and lets face it, it's been dire for many seasons now."
Someone else blasted: "The acting has always been average, but since the wokeometer had increased it is truly terrible. #woke."
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The complaints come soon after ITV was forced to state that the channel had no intentions of axing the show.
The first episode of series 23 aired earlier this month, before it seemingly disappeared from the schedule altogether.
However, a spokesperson confirmed to Express.co.uk: "We only ever had one episode of Midsomer Murders scheduled as they are standalone stories and there'll be more episodes in the coming months."
One fan cruelly wrote on TwItter: "Time to knock #MidsomerMurders on the head with a Grand Finalé episode in which everyone dies by being bored to death watching the Grand Finalé of Midsomer Murders."
However, in spite of harsh criticism, the show has been a staple in some viewers' lives for decades, raising hopes that its fortunes could be turned around.
