Emmerdale hit by Ofcom complaints as furious viewers slam soap for Jimmy’s insensitive coronavirus joke

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EMMERDALE has been hit by a wave of Ofcom complaints after viewers slammed the soap for Jimmy King’s insensitive coronavirus joke, HOAR can exclusively reveal.

The lockdown special, which was set over an entire month, aired last Wednesday and initially had soap fans spotting a major blunder when they noticed Jimmy and Nicola hadn’t changed their clothes for 13 days in a row.

Emmerdale has been hit by a wave of Ofcom complaints after viewers slammed the soap for Jimmy King’s insensitive coronavirus joke

Viewers of the ITV soap watched on June 17 as the couple isolated in Laurel’s house so that Nicola’s dad could shield in their home.

The emotional episode focused on Nicola’s depression and confessing she is “sick of her life” – yet viewers were completely distracted that the couple were still wearing the same clothes on the 13th day in lockdown together.

Numerous Emmerdale fans took to Twitter to point out the blunder, with one joking that they would have to “peel off” their wares after two weeks in the same clothes.

Now it appears viewers weren’t just angered by their lack of fashion choices – but rather a remark made by Jimmy in reference to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has claimed the lives of 42,927 Britons so far.

Viewers of the ITV soap watched on June 17 as the couple isolated in Laurel’s house so that Nicola’s dad could shield in their home
In the episode, Jimmy tells a hungover Nicola: 'At least we don't have to do the school run. Thank you coronavirus'
In the episode, Jimmy tells a hungover Nicola: ‘At least we don’t have to do the school run. Thank you coronavirus’

During the lockdown special, Jimmy scoffed at no longer having to do the school run for daughter Angelica and his two sons, Elliot Windsor and Carl Holliday, from previous relationships.

After a heavy night drinking wine, Jimmy came down the stairs in his dressing gown on Day 13 and told a hungover Nicola: “At least we don’t have to do the school run. Thank you coronavirus.”

To which Nicola smirked in agreement.

Nicola initially smirked before her hangover kicked in again

The comment seemed to upset viewers with some lodging a complaint with Ofcom following the episode.

Ofcom exclusively told HOAR Online they got 12 complaints related to Jimmy saying “thank you Coronavirus”.

The media regulator hasn’t yet decided if they will investigate the show after the viewer backlash.

Last week, viewers clocked a major blunder when they noticed the couple hadn’t changed their clothes for 13 days in lockdown. Pictured on day one

The UK coronavirus death toll today neared 43,000 as another 51 fatalities were recorded in England hospitals.

The jump in coronavirus deaths comes as Boris Johnson last night confirmed Britain was opening up from lockdown.

England recorded 51 deaths of patients aged between 48 and 96-years-old in hospitals, bringing the UK total to 42,978.

The furore comes after the coronavirus pandemic halted filming on the ITV soap in March.

It has only just resumed, with staff told to keep well away from each other and to have temperatures checked.

New episodes about the pandemic have aired from June 8 and will last for three weeks before the soap returns to its previous broadcast schedule.