EastEnders fans were left furious this week and have urged the BBC to apologise to the residents of Milton Keynes after the soap is claimed to have portrayed the area to be rundown and crime-ridden.
In a two-part special, the soap saw the return of Bianca Jackson (played by Patsy Palmer) and introduced her downbeat life in Milton Keynes, but her arrival back onto the soap was overshadowed by the backlash it received over the filming location.
Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty) visited her adoptive mother to reveal the news that she was pregnant, but became concerned when she arrived in the area with rundown buildings, vandalism and litter – alongside drug runner teens and negligent parents.
Palmer’s character was seen opening a near-empty fridge, living off of reduced milk, whipped cream and margarine, whilst also providing the bare minimum for the neglected children on the estate.
Milton Keynes residents were left furious to see this was how their city was being portrayed and slammed the BBC for “ruining our beautiful home”.
The storyline and its location also reached Parliament as Milton Keynes North MP Ben Everitt admitted he was “disappointed” in the BBC.
BBC viewers slammed the portrayal of Milton Keynes in the recent storyline
BBC
He told the House of Commons: “Milton Keynes is a beautiful, vibrant city that is going places – to everyone except perhaps, the producers of last night’s EastEnders.
“Like many across Milton Keynes, I was disappointed to see how the BBC soap opera depicted our great city.
“The producers’ characterisation doesn’t show the real Milton Keynes and they owe an apology to residents for this negative portrayal.
“We get it’s fiction, but the BBC is a national broadcaster and has to show it accurately. There are people that accept MK is the butt of the joke. However, we need to rise above the political opportunism and champion MK as the great city it is.”
Milton Keynes MP Ben Everitt slammed the soap during a discussion in the House of Commons
BBC
During his speech, Everitt noted there has been 136 deaths in Albert Square since 1985 and asked why someone would want to live somewhere “tarnished with tragedy”.
"If I were Bianca, I too would move out of Albert Square. Since 1985 the 15 residential housed square has seen over 136 deaths.
"If producers have to find places in London to depict a fictitious portrayal of 'gritty' MK, then they're having a laugh."
EastEnders executive producer Chris Clenshaw has come under fire from fans of the show who live in Milton Keynes as many have claimed the scenes were not filmed in the town at all.
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Whitney went to visit Bianca in Milton Keynes
BBC
One furious viewer slammed: “I am absolutely fuming with Chris Clenshaw. I’ve lived in Milton Keynes my entire life and we are not the run-down council s***-hole he has displayed us to be on EastEnders.
“Why film in Barnet, London, instead of actual Milton Keynes? I’ll be putting a complaint into the BBC.”
"These last couple of episodes haven’t exactly been a great advert for Milton Keynes,” another added before a third quipped: “Just cancelled my trip to Milton Keynes after watching.”
One Milton Keynes resident expressed: “At least film it in an area that actually looks like Milton Keynes."
"How can EastEnders justify their portrayal of Milton Keynes when they filmed it in Barnet?!?," argued another. (sic)
GB News has contacted the BBC for comment.