The shocking scene saw Alya stabbed by Blake (Picture: ITV)
Coronation Street has been hit with 72 Ofcom complaints, with viewers reaching out to show their distaste at violent scenes which saw Alya Nazir (Sair Khan) stabbed.
An ongoing storyline has centred around Max Turner (Paddy Bever) being groomed into a far right extremism gang, which has brought terror to Weatherfield in the form of horrifying racist abuse and planted bombs.
One young member who had also been indoctrinated into the group went on a rampage in a storyline peak recently.
Blake filmed himself targeting councillor Maria Connor (Samia Longchambon), following her ongoing support for refugees.
In terrifying scenes, he wielded a knife in a packed Speed Daal. He launched himself at Maria, but Alya found herself in the path of the attack.
Fans were stunned as Alya dropped to the ground and was later rushed to hospital.
72 viewers thought it was too much for a pre-watershed drama, and sent their views across to Ofcom.
The independent regulator is not obliged to launch an investigation based on complaints alone, but will assess the situation first.
Even if an investigation does follow, this is no indication that Coronation Street’s scenes breached guidelines.
Teasing the future of the storyline, the show’s producer Iain MacLeod told Metro.co.uk: ‘By the start of 2023 Max has well and truly been red pilled and even more estranged from his family than he has been.
‘It leads him into extremely dangerous territory it’s fair to say, he will over the course of 2023 realise the error of his ways – a lot of what we’re doing after that is about him being deprogrammed and un-brainwashed.
‘There is a redemption on the horizon for him after what he’s been through. After effects like with all stories last for a very long time after that.’
Current episodes have seen Max arrested and charged; facing 15 years in prison for incitement of terrorism.
It is not the first time that Corrie has received official backlash in relation to the storyline.
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Scenes which saw refugee Daryan beaten up last year brought in 139 complaints but the soap was cleared of any wrongdoing when airing the episode.
The most complained about soap story of all time remains Ronnie Mitchell’s controversial baby swap scenes in EastEnders, which led to a staggering 13,400 complaints.
The intense backlash led to the planned storyline being changed and cut short.
MORE : Coronation Street’s Adam Barlow star Sam Robertson debuts another hair transformation
What is Ofcom and what does it cover?
Ofcom is the regulator for the communications services that we use and rely on each day.
The watchdog makes sure people get the best from their broadband, home phone and mobile services, as well as keeping an eye on TV and radio.
Ofcom deals with most content on television, radio and video-on-demand services, including the BBC. However, if your complaint is about something you saw or heard in a BBC programme, you may need to complain to the BBC first.
Its rules for television and radio programmes are set out in the Broadcasting Code.
The rules in the Broadcasting Code also apply to the BBC iPlayer.
This Broadcasting Code is the rule book that broadcasters have to follow and it covers a number of areas, including; protecting the under-18s, protecting audiences from harmful and/or offensive material and ensuring that news, in whatever form, is reported with due accuracy and presented with due impartiality.
Audiences can complain to Ofcom if they believe a breach of the Broadcasting Code has been made.
Every time Ofcom receives a complaint from a viewer or listener, they assess it to see if it needs further investigation.
If Ofcom decide to investigate, they will include the case in a list of new investigations, published in the Broadcast and On Demand Bulletin.
An investigation is a formal process which can take some time depending on the complexity of the issues involved.
Ofcom can also launch investigations in the absence of a complaint from a viewer or listener.
Viewers were outraged by the shocking episode.
