EastEnders cleared by Ofcom over Kim Fox's 'absolutely disgusting' diabetes joke
EASTENDERS will not be investigated by Ofcom after viewers complained about a diabetes joke made by a character, the media watchdog confirmed.
Kim Fox at Pearl's birthday pary
Ofcom received 41 complaints last month after Kim Fox, portrayed by actress Tameka Empson, said: "If the kids don’t give themselves diabetes, it’s not a good party, is it?" during her daughter Pearl's first birthday party.
Many people also took to social media to condemn the long-running series for including the comment, with one person posting on Twitter: "@BBCOne EastEnders- "if kids can't give themselves diabetes, it's not a good party" absolutely disgusting!!!!"
While another tweeted: "#EastEnders but #diabetes comment was wrong as a T1 parent I hoped @bbceastenders would improve awareness esp with @jonnylabey @dominictc."
The remark was made in an episode aired on February 25 and left many audience members angry, with some reportedly even contacting charity Diabetes UK.
Kim and Vincent with baby Pearl
Claudette tells Vincent to leave
We assessed a number of complaints that a character’s comment about diabetes was misleading, but we won’t be taking the matter forward for investigation
An Ofcom spokesperson said today: "We assessed a number of complaints that a character’s comment about diabetes was misleading, but we won’t be taking the matter forward for investigation."
"We believe the audience wouldn’t have been materially misled by the comment.
"We took into account that this was a flippant remark by a character in a soap, rather than a factual comment on diabetes," they told Digital Spy.
Ofcom will not investigate the comment
At the time a spokesperson for EastEnders told Metro: "While we don’t always condone what out characters say, it’s important that for the sake of drama that they are allowed to express views which we might not agree with.
"As regular EastEnders viewers know, Kim has long been established as a facetious character who usually gets more things wrong than right."
EastEnders continues on BBC One tonight at 8pm.