For 40 years, the BBC’s EastEnders has been one of the most prolific and respected soap operas in the history of television. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in London’s East End, the show has often set itself apart from other soaps, thanks to its realism, unforgettable characters, and its devotion to telling stories with biting social impact. Despite the show having been on the air for four decades, now, the series remains a staple for the BBC.
However, the series has had its share of pushback as well, none more infamous than the 2010 “baby swap” storyline. Airing in two parts over New Year’s Eve 2010 and New Year’s Day 2011, the story proved to be a bridge too far for thousands and remains one of the most infamous soap plots of all time.
The ‘EastEnders’ Baby Swap Story Explained
Baby swaps are nothing new when it comes to soap operas. The arc ranks among the most frequently executed, right up there with evil twins and serial killers. In fact, General Hospital is in the middle of two baby dramas currently in the wake of its surprising, recent adoption reveal — and Days of Our Lives has a long, tangled history of baby switches that spans decades. But EastEnders’ saga is truly one of the most jarring in the genre’s history. The two-part episode follows Ronnie Branning (Samantha Womack), who gives birth to a baby boy, James, on New Year’s Eve. However, just a few hours following James’ birth, he tragically dies of sudden infant death syndrome, also known as SIDS.
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Left deeply depressed and devastatingly unhinged, Ronnie carries her dead newborn from her house out into the world. Meanwhile, Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace) and her husband, Alfie Moon (Shane Richie), have recently welcomed a baby boy named Tommy. While in a pub, the deeply disturbed Ronnie takes Tommy and replaces him with the remains of her own child. Ronnie then “renames” Tommy to James and attempts to raise the baby as her own, as Alfie and Kat are left to mourn their apparent tragedy. While Ronnie is eventually caught and jailed for her crime, it’s hard to deny that this plot is dissonantly disturbing. And viewers made their grievances known.
BBC Received Backlash Over ‘EastEnders’ Baby Swap Plot
EastEnders has never been a show that pulls punches. Its darkness and bold approach to storytelling have always been key to making the series work. However, this was one occasion where the show’s viewers were quick to voice their upset. As stated by The Guardian, the BBC received an intense amount of backlash following the two-part episode’s premiere. It is said that an estimated 13,400 viewers sent complaints to the network, citing the outing as “inaccurate, insensitive,” and a “sensationalized portrayal” of SIDS. It wasn’t only audiences who had issues with the outing, as journalist Anne Diamond, who lost her son, Sebastian, to SIDS, voiced her upset with the story’s inaccuracies.
According to the BBC, Diamond voiced her issues, saying: “This crass twist to an otherwise credible storyline hasn’t done one iota of good in educating a young audience about cot death, and it has upset a lot of mums and dads like me who’ve been through the worst nightmare a parent can endure and who have stayed sane, sensible and responsible despite it.” The outrage and criticism even led to investigatory action.
The large number of audience complaints and public outcry wasn’t the only backlash that EastEnders faced in the wake of the baby swap arc. The Office of Communications (Ofcom), the organization responsible for overseeing television, radio, telecoms, postal services, and the airwaves used by wireless devices, particularly when it comes to the public’s “best interest,” turned its attention to the controversial soap opera.
Per the BBC, the Office of Communications received 1,044 itself, in addition to the 13,400 that the network earned. This is not the sort of attention any show or entertainment medium, for that matter, hopes to attract, even when telling jarring stories. However, Ofcom’s investigation concluded that there was nothing “unduly disturbing or graphic.” The Office added, “the storyline would not have exceeded their expectations given that the soap is known for presenting a range of challenging and, at times, controversial issues.” Interestingly, the backlash was so strong that the show was forced to wrap the plot earlier than the producers and writers had initially planned.
The Baby Swap Story Was Meant to Run Longer on ‘EastEnders’
As if the two-night event wasn’t rattling enough, in true soap opera tradition, the arc was meant to last longer than it did. As executive producer, Brian Kirkwood, wrote on BBC’s EastEnders blog, “Whenever we embark on a story at EastEnders we always leave it open-ended to monitor and listen to audience reaction,” and announced that the story would be wrapped up in the following spring, a surprisingly quick turn around when one considers the television production process. It’s usually impossible for TV shows to pivot their planned stories, regardless of viewer reaction. EastEnders assumed responsibility, however, and the arc was brought to an end in the spring of 2011, when Kat and Alfie were reunited with Alfie.
Kirkwood did admit that, despite the show’s bold approach to social topics, they never set out to upset viewers in the way they ended up doing so. After all, it’s that dedication to these topics that continues to make the show so influential. Still, Kirkwood wrote about the process, saying: “In its 25 years [EastEnders] has tackled many taboo subjects from HIV to pedophilia, matching drama with public service in a way that has continually kept it as one of the most talked about shows on television. When we embarked on the story of Ronnie and Kat, it was very much with this in mind. We researched extensively to make sure we would be both factually correct and emotionally truthful.” Still, he was careful to acknowledge the feelings viewers shared.
All these years later, the baby swap is now a distant, albeit haunting, memory. Thankfully, EastEnders continues its mission to tell fascinating and realistic stories. The baby swap is unlikely to be forgotten, but the show’s response was responsible and swift enough to get the series back on track. There are so many wonderful stories still crafted by the soap, and we hope you check out the series for yourself!
EastEnders is available to stream on BritBox in the U.S.
EastEnders
- Release Date
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February 19, 1985
- Network
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BBC One
- Directors
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Clive Arnold, Bill Hays, Barry Letts, Mike Gibbon, Chris Clough, Antonia Bird, Bill Gilmour, Garth Tucker, Julia Smith, Tony Virgo, Karl Neilson, Stephen Butcher, Toby Frow, Chris Lovett, Graeme Harper, William Slater, Peter Moffatt, Mervyn Cumming, John Greening, Nicholas Prosser, Kate Saxon, Thomas Hescott, Michael Owen Morris, Neil Alderton
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Gillian Taylforth
Ethel Skinner
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Letitia Dean
Mrs Medeemey
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