EastEnders joins forces with Comic Relief for gang storyline

Bianca and Liam, EastEndersEastEnders has joined forces with Comic Relief to highlight the issues surrounding teenagers and gangs.

A new storyline in the BBC One soap sees Bianca Butcher (Patsy Palmer) driven to despair when her 14-year-old son Liam (James Forde) joins a gang, which results in her losing control over the schoolboy.

EastEnders bosses have worked with Comic Relief on the hard-hitting storyline, conducting research into why teenagers join gangs and the consequences it can have.

“We are delighted to be working with Comic Relief once again. This subject matter is something which is touching the lives of so many young people in London and other cities around the UK.

 

“We have taken the opportunity to see the impact from a mother’s perspective, and Patsy Palmer gives a powerful performance of a mother doing all she can to protect her son. The telling of this story has also given us the chance to explore the reasons behind the attraction of gangs for teenagers.” – EastEnders Executive Producer, Lorraine Newman

The soap previously worked with the charity in 2011 on a storyline with Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty) which tackled the issue of sexual exploitation.

“Comic Relief is really excited to be working with EastEnders again to highlight an important issue supported by Red Nose Day. In 2011, Comic Relief put EastEnders in touch with young people who had been sexually exploited so that the reality of this horrific form of abuse could be accurately portrayed. The groundbreaking storyline was important in lifting the lid on a hidden issue and significantly raised the profile of the issue of young people and sexual exploitation across the UK.

 

“This year’s storyline should play an equally important role in promoting greater understanding of why young people are vulnerable to becoming involved in gangs.” – Judith McNeill, Grants Director for Comic Relief

The storyline kicks off next month and includes a six minute episode which will air during the Comic Relief telethon on Friday 15th March.