Becky McDonald: Adoption storyline controversy. Pic: ITV
Coronation Street has been criticised by an adoption agency for Steve and Becky McDonald's current storyline. They accused the show of frightening people away from adopting children.
Viewers saw the couple, played by Simon Gregson and Katherine Kelly, face a tough meeting with an adoption panel.
The couple's application for a child was ultimately turned down.
Patricia Hurst of Caritas told the Manchester Evening News that the panel would not be as intimidating as the soap had portrayed.
She went on to say that issues such as the couple's smoking and Becky's miscarriage would have been dealt with beforehand.
Hurst said: "It was portrayed as an ambush and that is just not the case.
"People are quite anxious and vulnerable when they come before a panel and the panel knows this.
"They do a lot to make the experience very user-friendly. It was quite confrontational - maybe because it made good TV."
She continued: "As there are hundreds of children waiting for adoptive families in the North West alone we are concerned this may frighten people and put them off applying for adoption.
"We want to assure potential adoptive applicants that this would not happen."
A spokeswoman for Coronation Street said: "We spoke to adoption agencies and had their full support.
"We have to have some dramatic licence but it was an accurate storyline."
This article is powered by Well Contented Ltd
