Presenter Lorraine Kelly failed to mince her words as she blasted the decision for Midsomer Murders to include a trigger warning.
During Monday’s instalmet of the ITV talk show, Lorraine was joined by Lucie Cave who shared further information about caution added to the popular murder mystery series. Explaining the addition of the trigger warning Lucie said it is due to some episodes containing “violence even crime scene images” and “murders are not carried out of the gentle kind.”
After hearing the reasoning, Lorraine was not convinced and appeared frustrated that the warning was added. Although she understood that trigger warnings are important in certain cases, Lorraine stated that the show being called Midsomer Murders was already a vital giveaway that it would likely contain murder.
The host ranted: “Yeah but we know! It’s called Midsomer Murders. We know they will be a murder- even more than one!
Lorraine added: “But saying there might be- you know- maybe violence in Midsomer Murders is like saying today watching Wimbledon there may well be bouncing balls.”
Some viewers appeared to agree with Lorraine, with one fan heading over to X to write: “ITV is bonkers. There are murders in Midsomer Murders but they are not usually gruesome ones. What type of people need a warning when the title describes the content?”
Meanwhile, Game Of Thrones actor Anton Lesser, who appeared in episodes Talking To The Dead and Birds Of Prey, shared his thoughts on the new warning feature. He said: “I understand the good intentions of broadcasters who take care to warn of effects like flashing images, but I’m surprised something like Midsomer Murders warrants a warning.
“I do remember my character in Birds Of Prey hurling a plate of sausages to the floor – perhaps there should be a disclaimer, ‘No sausages were hurt in this film.'”
Since 1997, when the popular drama first kicked off, there have been 388 killings, 423 deaths in total and 250 attempted murders. Some of the most memorable death scenes include ex-Eastenders actress Martine McCutcheon being crushed by a massive round of cheese while standing in a cave. Another iconic but tragic scene included a hotel maid who passed away after being thrown inside a large tumble dryer.
Talking about the new warning, a spokesman for ITVX said: “Programming that contains potentially sensitive or distressing themes, content or language has carried appropriate guidance since our launch. We regularly review our catalogue to ensure the right guidance is in place.”