Emmerdale: ITV soap defends Down's syndrome storyline

Laurel (Charlotte Bellamy) and Jai (Chris Bisson) will be seen deciding to terminate their pregnancy

Emmerdale producers have defended a forthcoming storyline which will see a couple terminate their pregnancy after being told their unborn child has Down's syndrome.

The announcement of the storyline last week prompted a backlash from some viewers, who said the ITV soap was adding to stigma around the condition.

But series producer Laura Shaw has said the storyline had been well researched.

She also urged people to watch the scenes when they air later this year.

What is the storyline?

A forthcoming plotline will see Laurel Thomas (Charlotte Bellamy) and Jai Sharma (Chris Bisson) delighted when they unexpectedly get pregnant.

But an early scan will show the pregnancy isn't developing as expected and there is the possibility the baby has a chromosomal condition.

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They decide to have a CVS (chorionic villus sampling) test, which is used to determine chromosomal or genetic disorders in a foetus. The result they receive tells them the baby has Down's syndrome.

Laurel and Jai will then be seen agonising over what to do, before ultimately deciding to end the pregnancy.

Emmerdale already has one character with Down's syndrome - Rhona and Marlon's nine-year-old son Leo.

Why are some viewers objecting?

Some Emmerdale fans and Down's syndrome campaigners said the ITV soap was perpetuating the idea that those with Down's syndrome do not lead lives worth living.

Tim Reid, the co-creator and co-writer of Car Share, tweeted: "Dear Emmerdale, are you confident you've tackled this story in a way your audience with Down's syndrome deserve? Have you taken the same approach you would if characters were choosing to end a pregnancy for reason of gender, race or physical disability?"

Wendy O'Carroll, the founder of support charity Ups and Downs Southwest, voiced her concerns in an open letter to Emmerdale which was widely shared on Facebook.

"Your proposed story will further serve to encourage and confirm the opinion that ending the life of a baby just because it has Down syndrome is perfectly acceptable and understandable because maybe it would be better if fewer people 'like them' were in the world," she said.

"Have you considered for even a moment, how children and adults with Down syndrome who follow your programme will react to two of their favourite characters discovering excitedly that they are to have a baby, and then deciding to terminate the life of that child because it has Down syndrome?"

How have Emmerdale responded?

Emmerdale won the National Television Award for best serial drama earlier this year

Laura Shaw, the series producer for the soap, told journalists on Monday the storyline had been thoroughly researched in collaboration with Antenatal Results and Choices (ARC), medical professionals and people with lived experience.

"We're confident that what we've produced has been done in a really balanced and sensitive way," she said. "We haven't gone into this blindly, we've spoken to as many people as we possibly can. We've got the research, this is based on real life, and I think people will see that.

"You're going to feel uncomfortable at times watching it, but I hope that people will then, as they watch it, understand why we've done it."

She said she knew it would be "contentious" but added that was partly what made it "such an important story to tell".

"I'm sure we'll get some mixed reactions, I'm well aware that it's a hugely emotive subject. But I do honestly think that once everyone has watched the episodes play out, they're going to feel huge sympathy for what an impossible and difficult choice these couples face, and an understanding," she said.

"And what you'll see through Jai and Laurel's story is how that decision goes on to affect their lives for years to come."

Who have Emmerdale worked with on the story?

The producers worked with Antenatal Results and Choices (ARC) while the storyline was in development.

Its director, Jane Fisher, said: "Soaps in general tend to be keen on high drama, so I was a bit nervous about how it would be presented. But once I saw the script, all those anxieties went out the window, because it was clear from early stages that such a lot of thought and care had been put into getting this right. So our job as advisers was fairly straightforward."

She added: "I think it's really important that people can speak about this, not that they must, because for many people this is a very painful and private experience. And that's fine, they may not want to talk about it openly. But thy need to know that they can, and at the moment many people feel reticent to talk about what's happened to them because they fear judgement."

Fisher said some parents who deal opt for an abortion "very sadly don't feel they have permission to grieve for the baby they've lost, because they feel implicated in that loss".

She acknowledged the contentious nature of the storyline, and said: "There are going to be people, however well this is portrayed, who are always going to have strong views. But I think the majority of people watching the episodes as written will have an insight into the reality, the complexity."

What is Down's syndrome?

• For between 700 and 1,000 babies born, one will have Down's syndrome, meaning they have an extra chromosome and a learning disability

• About 40,000 people in the UK have the condition

• Around half of those have congenital heart defects with some requiring surgery

• 80% of children with the condition are born to women younger than 35

• In the 1960s, life expectancy was 15 - it is now between 50 and 60

• It's thought around 90% of people in the UK who know their child will be born with Down's syndrome have an abortion

The Down's Syndrome Association have not been involved with the Emmerdale storyline, but have said in a statement: "The DSA can provide balanced and up-to-date information about Down's syndrome for anyone in Laurel and Jai's position.

"We would encourage anyone in this situation to contact our confidential helpline to talk with our trained staff for non-directive information and support."