ITV/Comp Emmerdale Insider Share By Carena Crawford Nov 13 2025 By Carena Crawford Nov 13 2025 EXCLUSIVE: Amidst complaints of Emmerdale being too dark fans insist they've 'got the balance right' Gripping yet still a good watch is the verdict of Emmerdale fans April Windsor Bear Wolf Features Robert Sugden Share By Carena Crawford Nov 13 2025 By Carena Crawford Nov 13 2025 Emmerdale fans have been complaining for some time now that the soap has become “too dark” – especially after the latest standalone episodes featuring Bear, April and Robert. However an exclusive Emmerdale Insider poll has revealed plenty of viewers don’t think that’s the case at all. In fact, they claim the soap has got the balance between drama, gloom and lighthearted plots absolutely spot on. Mack was held captive for weeks (Credit: ITV) Complaints over Emmerdale storylines getting ‘too dark’ The soap isn’t one to shy away from harrowing topics and often thrive when they are tackling the uncomfortable, as well as the ridiculous. Most recently, Mackenzie Boyd got out of the bunker and John Sugden vanished, so Emmerdale fans thought the dark cloud had lifted. But that’s when the April and Dylan storyline kicked up a gear. Ray’s connection to Celia was revealed, and we all realised there was much more happening than we knew. article continues below Read all the latest spoilers And now this week Emmerdale has let us into the secret of Bear’s whereabouts as they began their Modern Slavery storyline. However, this seems to be the final straw for some fans, as they feel the show may just have gotten too “uncomfortable”. Viewers think this storyline is the ‘darkest’ (Credit: ITV) Fans ‘uncomfortable’ Speaking on a Reddit thread, Emmerdale fans debated whether Emmerdale should have more comedic scenes. One penned: “This Ray and Celia storyline is too dark for Emmerdale. So soon after Mack was held captive in the bunker. Now we have slavery. The drug dealing was bad enough but this is taking it too far. I don’t want to feel like this watching Emmerdale. I might end up switching off for a while.” Another agreed, adding: “My issue is that it isn’t sufficiently balanced with more lighthearted stuff.” To which another agreed: “This is exactly it. There is no balance. It’s just constant morbidness. That’s why I am struggling.” “I think the Celia and Ray story is so dark and so wide ranging that they shouldn’t be running things like Charity’s baby story at the same time. Even showing the Robert prison flashback might be overload. Make the rest of the stories happy or fun” a third added. Another penned: “It is definitely getting too dark. This might just be the most uncomfortable storyline they have ever done. It’s such a hard watch.” However one fan defended the soap, writing: “People don’t realise how much these things happen. And how close it all is to their own house. Emmerdale is just trying to make us all aware.” April’s episodes are under fire too (Credit: ITV) Exclusive poll reveals fans actually like the plotlines in Emmerdale However, despite this flurry of comments, other fans actually think Emmerdale is playing it just right. In Emmerdale Insider’s poll we asked whether Emmerdale has become too dark and depressing. And 33 percent of viewers said: “I like a mixture of comedy and dark plots – they’ve got the balance just right.” But it wasn’t all joy (when is it ever!) for the soap as right behind that, 32 percent agreed there is “too much misery” and said they’d be “switching off”. Indeed, complaints received directly by Emmerdale Insider have said the show is featuring “unbelievable plots” and “poor writing”. They have accused the soap of “insulting the audience” and resorting to “cheap tricks” like April’s dream sequence episode to tell their stories. Since the summer the soap has been reported to Ofcom several times. Once for the violent homophobic attack on Vinny Dingle. Then again for the Mack and John scenes and most recently for the scenes in which April thought she had killed a man who had paid to sleep with her. So which side do you stand on? Read more: Who’s leaving Emmerdale? All the cast exits, arrivals and returns Share Good to Know Share By Carena Crawford Nov 13 2025 By Carena Crawford Nov 13 2025 Previous Story Next Story
