Ofcom hit with complaints as Coronation Street viewers furious over 'sexual scenes'

Ofcom has received a number of complaints from Coronation Street viewers.

The ITV soap was back in its usual slot on Friday night at 8pm and a shock twist aired in which Carl Webster (Jonathan Howard), who is already conducting an affair with his sister-in-law Abi Webster (Sally Carman), ended up in bed with James Bailey. At the time, James was waiting in the bed with just the duvet to cover his modesty and Carl was dressed only in a towel. This was the only scene of a sexual nature to air in the episode that evening.

Shortly after the episode aired, broadcasting regulator Ofcom received 55 complaints from angry viewers in total, and a spokesperson for the organisation confirmed to The Mirror that these were over "related to sexual content shown pre-watershed." The episode aired for an hour, and wrapped up at 9pm. After that time, broadcasters are permitted to show content that may be deemed unsuitable for children.

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Earlier in the week, Tracy Barlow called Abi a "devious, mucky cow" after stumbling upon the pair in an embrace. Abi and Carl began their affair after Abi discovered that her husband had been given the all-clear after his testicular cancer battle - but hadn't told her the truth. But in scenes that aired on Friday, James and Carl were seen flirting in the pub as they spoke about having a potential fitness session together.

Tracy, blackmailing Carl and Abi for money to pay for her divoce now that she knows the truth, called round to Carl's hotel room and tried to force her way in. He got rid of her, and when he closed the door, James, pyed by Jason Calendar, was waiting in the bed. After their tryst, they agreed to see each other again.

Speaking about the latest twist, Jonathan said: "Carl likes living life on the edge, he is a hedonist and a free spirit, he is attracted to a person regardless of their gender and if he sees something he wants he goes for it with no real thought to the consequences of his actions.

"He is frustrated that Abi has gone away with Kevin and he needs something to distract himself. There is a spark between him and James so he goes for it.

At the time, the move seemed to garner a positive reaction from fans of the world's longest-running TV soap opera as they flooded social media.

One wrote: "Carls face as James lifted the bedsheets. Impressed and ready to dive in/on. Love it" and another said: "knew basically nothing about coronation street before this but now i'm willing to watch every episode if they give us carl and james"

One fan believed that the viewers were not physical enough, as they said: "It happened two times, first when Carl went on top of James to make the viewers understand they are going to s*** and it cut rigtt away. Then when they finished and got their clothes back on and went for a kiss that was interrupted. Those things don’t work in 2025

Interestingly, the broadcaster published no record of complaints when Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson) and Cassie Plummer (Claire Sweeney) were caught in a passionate clinch whilst in the nude in the living room of number nine.

But, at that time, viewers took to social media to complain that children were watching and that the scene was too much before the watershed.

One wrote on a Facebook group: "Warning to viewers watching Corrie tonight, if you're letting young children in on the viewing there's Cassie and Steve caught in a compromising position"It was gross! Not very appropriate." A third joked: "Think I might be scarred for life."

Coronation Street airs Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX