Top 10 Most Controversial Soap Operas

10 Most Controversial Soap Operas

Caitlin Johnson

Welcome to WatchMojoUK, and today we’re looking at soaps that caused outrage, often more than once.

“Triangle” (1981-83)

What better setting could there be for a soap opera than a freezing cold ferry in the North Sea? Probably any other setting, actually, if “Triangle” is anything to go by. Their biggest mistake was deciding to shoot it all on a real ferry instead of in a studio, meaning they were all stuck on board in the cold, with cameras ill-equipped to handle the constantly changing lighting conditions. This all meant that “Triangle” just never took off. Competent writing could, in theory, make somebody forget about all the dodgy technical issues, but it didn’t have that either, with the first-ever scene being about the crew leering over a partially nude Kate O’Mara.

“Neighbours” (1985-)

Despite declining popularity Down Under, “Neighbours” has been so beloved by the Brits that it would have died years ago were it not for Channel 5 – and that’s exactly why it’s controversial. Not because there’s anything contentious about it – after all, this is the programme that launched the careers of megastars like Kylie Minogue and Margot Robbie – but because of how it keeps getting cancelled. All of this was because of chopping and changing at its network in Australia, but it eventually aired its finale in 2022 after Channel 5 pulled funding for good, no longer bailing out the struggling soap. That was until 2023, anyway, when it was revived yet again, now on Amazon. But for how long?

“Eldorado” (1992-93)

Ten years after the failure of “Triangle”, the BBC was ready to try another glamorous, jet setting soap opera, and now it was Spain’s turn. The Costa del Sol is certainly a more popular destination than the imaginary ferry line between Felixstowe and Sweden, but even that couldn’t save “Eldorado” from disaster. Running for only a year, it was complete rubbish, casting unknowns with middling or even non-existent acting ability and, like “Triangle” before it, making the mistake of filming everything on location instead of on a sound stage. The final cherry on top was that, despite its low quality, it was extremely expensive for the BBC to make, leading to more criticisms of how the Beeb was using licence fee money.

“Casualty” (1986-)

Unlike “Doctors” before it, “Casualty” was aiming for a grittier, more realistic depiction of the NHS, going to great lengths to research the health service and the problems facing it. But perhaps it was TOO accurate, because in its first year on air, it had plenty of critics, despite today being a television institution. It was accused of negatively portraying the NHS by showing the intense stress hospital staff are under, with some resorting to unhealthy coping mechanisms, though it was all designed as a wake up call for the public to oppose what Thatcher’s Tories were doing. As such, the government didn’t like it, but the public and the NHS workers the show represented DID, celebrating its realism.

“Emmerdale” (1972-)

Like all soaps, “Emmerdale” needs outrageous storylines to keep people watching, not quite as reliant on its lovable cast of characters as “Coronation Street”, for instance. In recent years, its notable controversies included the helicopter crash and the Down’s syndrome storyline. In the case of the former, the programme was lambasted for its violence and sensationalism, with some comparing it to the real-life Clutha disaster, when a helicopter crashed into a pub and ten people died. As for Down’s syndrome, the show was accused of propagating harmful ideas about the condition by allowing Jai and Laura to terminate their unborn child after finding out it likely has Down’s, leading to outrage.

“Hollyoaks” (1995-)

It’s often been the soap most responsible for pushing the envelope, especially in the last few decades, thanks to its endlessly high-profile plotlines. One storyline was so outrageous it actually got axed as soon as the details were leaked, following the perpetrators of a crime chillingly similar to the real-life murder of two-year-old James Bulger. Others included Sarah Barnes falling to her death during a parachute-jump-gone-wrong, Warren Fox killing his own fiancée, and the 2006 event where the Dog in the Pond pub was blown up in an arson attack. If you want to be scandalised on an evening, tune into “Hollyoaks”.

“Crossroads” (1964-88; 2001-03)

A soap miss from ITV this time, “Crossroads” was on and off screens for forty years in all, always plagued with technical issues. Quite simply, it didn’t have anywhere near enough money, following the staff of a motel in the Midlands. Well, it did until the late 80s, when ITV decided to revamp it by changing the name to “Crossroads King’s Oak” with the intention of focusing on the nearby town instead. Nobody liked that, though, and it was cancelled – only to return in 2001. But the revival was just as shoddy, despite being fronted by Jane Asher, and ended with the insulting revelation that the entire reboot was just a dream in the head of a supermarket worker who loved the original.

“Coronation Street” (1960-)

It’s the longest-running TV soap opera in the world, and you don’t get that crown without drawing in massive viewership. Some controversial storylines in “Corrie’s” past include the whodunnit mystery about Toya Battersby’s traumatic assault, and Pat Phelan’s killing spree – which people thought was far too graphic for the timeslot. Backstage, though, and things aren’t all rosy; throughout 2025, there have been allegations that the set is an unpleasant place to work. It’s been claimed that some stars are allowed to take extra brand deals on the side, while others have been disallowed from doing so by ITV, and that the double standard has turned things “toxic”.

“EastEnders” (1985-)

How do you steal viewers from “Coronation Street” when it’s ruled the airwaves for twenty-five years? By creating the most controversial storylines then-imaginable, of course. That was what “EastEnders” did, with violence, sex, and kitchen sink realism taken to new extremes. We all remember Dirty Den serving those divorce papers as one of the most ruthless soap moments ever, but a more controversial outing was in 1997, when the characters headed to Dublin. There, they encountered every Irish stereotype known to man, with their long-lost family turning out to be filthy, drunken layabouts. Even the Irish Embassy got involved, with concerns that the programme could affect tourism to the country.

“Brookside” (1982-2003)

If “EastEnders” wasn’t extreme enough for you, you were well served by “Brookside” as it went off the rails in the 1990s. We’ve talked many times about the incest storyline between Nat and Georgia Simpson, but it was hardly the only time “Brookside” resorted to shock value to gain views. The first outrageous storyline was the legendary “body under the patio”, when Trevor Jordache was murdered and buried in the back garden. For two years, the nation was gripped, waiting for somebody to unearth his remains. And who could forget the explosive-happy cult led by Simon Howe, who blew up a house in the name of Christianity?

Have you ever swapped your baby with somebody else’s? Let us know in the comments, especially if your name is Ronnie Mitchell.