Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

One Direction fans angered after Holby City character threatens to cut off Perrie Edwards' head with 'rusty chainsaw'

The BBC has received 30 complaints about the line so far

Daisy Wyatt
Thursday 13 March 2014 07:47 EDT
Comments
The BBC has received 30 complaints after a character in Holby City said she wanted to chainsaw Perrie Edwards' head off
The BBC has received 30 complaints after a character in Holby City said she wanted to chainsaw Perrie Edwards' head off (BBC)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

The BBC has received 30 complaints after a teenage One Direction fan in Holby City said she wanted to cut off Perrie Edwards’ head with a “rusty chainsaw”.

When asked by the nurse who her favourite member of One Direction is, character Kayleigh Ormerod replies: “Zayn. I’ve got it all worked out."

"All I have to do is track down Perrie Edwards, cut off her head with a rusty chainsaw, marry Zayn and have all his babies,” she said.

Perrie Edwards, 20, got engaged to boy band member Zayn Malik, 21, last summer.

Her mother, Debbie, was upset by the comment, tweeting: “Anyone watching Holby City??? Really upset.com.”

A number of Little Mix and One Direction fans also tweeted their disappointment about the inclusion of the "unacceptable" line in the episode.

The BBC has confirmed it has received around 30 complaints so far about the line.

A spokesman said: “The line referencing Perrie Edwards was made to emphasise the character Kayleigh’s devotion to One Direction. It was absolutely not intended to be taken seriously and clearly in the context is not intended to cause offence.”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in