Paul O’Grady has hit out at ‘Coronation Street’ – insisting the soap is "like" war-torn Syria.
The ‘Life of Dogs’ presenter has appeared to blast the show’s recent storylines – which have seen evil Pat Phelan (Connor McIntyre) go on a killing spree, and Josh Tucker (Ryan Clayton) rape David Platt (Jack P. Shepherd) – by comparing it to the troubled country.
He said: "It was about working class life in a little street, but now it’s like Syria."
The 62-year-old TV host also pointed out the ITV soap used to features numerous innocent character conversations "over nothing" in the fictional Rovers Return pub.
Speaking to Best magazine, he added: "There used to be these wonderful vignettes in the Rovers – a conversation over nothing."
Paul is not the only TV star to have recently hit out at ‘Corrie’, with both Fern Britton and Sir Michael Parkinson attacking the show’s spate of violent plots.
The former ‘This Morning’ co-host called for the soap to be "saved", claiming it is "unsuitable for pre-watershed".
She tweeted: "Is it looking for a post watershed slot? Not witnessing the graphic horror/degradation/shame/pain of sexual abuse is worse than seeing it. Unsuitable for pre watershed @ITV #SaveOurCorrie (sic)"
Fern, 60, called for the show to ditch its dark plots and bring back some "fun and laughter".
In response to a former viewer who said the soap used to have a "warm spirit" and "a lot of humour", she tweeted back: "It did! Now it’s brain tumour, testicular cancer, kidney transplant, ms, and bipolar all in one dollop. Plus paedophile grooming, and now male sexual abuse. Not to mention heroin addicted vicar, serial killer and psycho child …,,, I want fun and laughter, love and heart break (sic)"
Fern’s comments came after TV legend Michael blasted the soap for its violent and "gruesome" storylines.
He said: "I never imagined I would recoil from watching ‘Coronation Street’, but the storyline of the kidnapping and torture of Andy and Vinny and their brutal murder by Pat Phelan had little to do with that gentle, funny reminder of life in the North Country I discovered and so admired in the early 1960s when I joined Granada Television."