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BBC soap EastEnders has received 145 complaints from viewers concerned about a gay kiss in Tuesday night's episode.

The scene which has been called into question saw Christian Clarke (John Partridge) and his new boyfriend Lee Thompson (Carl Ferguson) sharing a kiss on the bench in Albert Square's gardens. As Dot Cotton (June Brown) walked through the Square during their embrace, she reminded them that "the Lord’s not the only one with eyes".

Writing on the Points Of View message board, one viewer said: "I am appalled by the display of homosexual kissing before the watershed shown on EastEnders. This is disgraceful whilst young children are watching and sets the wrong example."

Another viewer said of the scene: "I had to explain to my seven-year-old son what was happening. He now thinks he is gay because he kisses his dad."

One viewer, however, added: "I don't see what the fuss is about, given the context of their kissing and messing about and the way it was portrayed."

In a statement, the BBC defended its depiction of homosexual relationships, saying: "EastEnders aims to reflect real life, and this means including and telling stories about characters from many different backgrounds, faiths, religions and sexualities.

"We approach our portrayal of homosexual relationships in the same way as we do heterosexual relationships. In this instance, Christian is enjoying the first flush of romance and we've shown him being affectionate with his new boyfriend in the same way any couple would."

It continued: "We also aim to ensure that depictions of affection or sexuality between couples are suitable for pre-watershed viewing. We believe that the general tone and content of EastEnders is now widely recognised, meaning that parents can make an informed decision as to whether they want their children to watch."

At the beginning of the month, 110 people complained to the public broadcaster over its treatment of a recent Ramadan storyline, while the latest child abuse plot involving Tony King (Chris Coghill) and Whitney Dean (Shone McGarty) sparked over 200.

DS

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