Eastenders working with Comic Relief

[Jordan]

As part of an upcoming storyline EastEnders is working alongside Comic Relief to tackle a problem that is faced by young women in the UK today - sexual exploitation.

Over the coming weeks, with her stepmother Bianca absent and with no-one else around, Whitney's life takes a downward spiral. Alone and and vulnerable she falls for the charms of an unscrupulous man who ultimately sexually exploits her for his own financial gain.

In line with it's long tradition of tackling social issues, EastEnders has been working alongside Comic Relief since last year to devise a storyline that explores a growing problem that faces many young women in the UK. The issue is one that the charity has been working on for a number of years, both in terms of funding projects that help those who have been subjected to this devastating experience and raising awareness of the issue.

The storyline will culminate in a special ten minute episode which is being featured as part of Comic Relief's Night of TV on Friday 18th March.

Gilly Green, Head of UK Grants at Comic Relief, said: "It is vital that we continue to alert young people to the dangers if we are to stop them being exploited and the opportunity to work with EastEnders will make a huge audience aware of this issue. We have been working with the Eastenders script writers and some of the young women from projects we support to ensure the story reflects the reality of young people caught up in sexual exploitation."

Kevin Cahill, Chief Executive of Comic Relief, said: “We have worked over many years with EastEnders in all kinds of ways. It’s been a real pleasure this year to work together on a piece of serious drama, in the best traditions of public service, which will highlight an important issue and also, because it occurs on the night of Comic Relief, actually help raise crucial funds to help young women caught up in it.”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/eastenders/2011/01/comicrelief.shtml

[dbgtz]

so were going to have a depressing episode of eastenders on comic relief? fairplay it's an alright story but not something to be aired for comic relief really. Also why is it always whitney getting sexual abusion? :S

[Nikki]

I was reading about this in the newspaper, does this mean that:
with her stepmother Bianca absent that she gets charged with the assulting the police officer and sent to prison?

It might not be a happy storyline, and will probably receive tons of complaints but it's great to raise awareness.

[dbgtz]

I was reading about this in the newspaper, does this mean that: that she gets charged with the assulting the police officer and sent to prison?

It might not be a happy storyline, and will probably receive tons of complaints but it's great to raise awareness.

yes but its the fact its meant to be comic relief :P if it aired just before then that's a little different but yeah.

and yeah patsy is leaving for a little big so is probs arrested.

[Nikki]

yes but its the fact its meant to be comic relief :P if it aired just before then that's a little different but yeah.

and yeah patsy is leaving for a little big so is probs arrested.

I've never really enjoyed the episodes that eastenders do for the comic relief or children in need, they are usually so cheesey and really pointless, they never fit in with the storylines.

[Judas]

im confused, dont they usually just do like a happy funny episode for comic relief.. but now theyre doing this? :P