ITV Coronation Street defends 'Britain's best-loved soap' as 'harrowing' stories blasted

Coronation Street has recently seen everything from armed robbery and acid attacks to terminal illness and brutal teenage bullying scenes - but could it all be a bit too much for some? BARB, a website that records and displays viewer data, has shared that 600,000 fans have stopped tuning in to see what's happening on the cobbles.

As more and more turn away, a rep insisted that Corrie continues to be Britain's best-loved and most-viewed soap. He also suggested that the channel is proud of its focus on relatable and real-life issues - even if, for some, they might be uncomfortably hard-hitting.

Issuing a statement which has been published in the Guardian, John Whiston, managing director of continuing dramas and head of ITV in the North, addressed the thorny issue in full. "Coronation Street is, and always has been, a mixture of characters you love, earthy humour and stories that matter such as the current Liam bullying storyline or the Lauren grooming storyline," he explained.

"The show is proud to explore important contemporary issues such as these and our audience research shows that viewers really appreciate these stories and believe we deal with them in an engaging but responsible way." He added that those factors are the reason "why Coronation Street continues to be the most-watched soap on British TV".

However, some tough storylines have been difficult to watch in recent months, with a tearful Ryan Connor (Ryan Prescott) resorting to "steroids and sex work" in the aftermath of a traumatising acid attack by a friend's stalker. He recently told Express.co.uk that "crying for months on end" to rehearse his part had been "harrowing".

Viewers have also seen Paul Foreman (Peter Ash) struggle to swallow his food, then learn that he'll soon have to rely on a feeding tube, as he comes to terms with the progression of his MND (motor neurone disease).

Dramatic scenes unfolded as a sobbing Paul revealed he was contemplating taking his own life, before a distraught Billy Mayhew (Daniel Brocklebank) vowed sadly that he'd help him when the time came.

That storyline is set to end tragically in just a few months, according to some fans' estimation - and Peter Ash has already confirmed he's set to leave the series.

Meanwhile, it's been hinted that poor Roy Cropper (David Neilson) will be set up for the murder of Lauren Bolton (Cait Fitton) despite most on the Street being convinced of his innocence.

However, one of the biggest issues for viewers lately has been the announcement that there'll be a retrospective look at blood-spattered Toyah Habeeb (Georgia Taylor)'s historic rape.

It took place back when the character still carried the Battersby surname.

She's set to reveal the truth, admitting that she gave birth to a stillborn baby way back in 2001, and buried it in the Red Rec carpark.

However, viewers aren't best pleased, with some declaring the revival of the storyline "trauma porn".

As news emerged that the baby's body is set to be discovered, one viewer exclaimed that the soap's choice to bring up the gory details was "very hard to defend".

However, Antony Cotton, who plays Sean Tully told Express.co.uk last week that his on-screen son's bullying scenes aren't harrowing to him, cautioning: "The storyline is a very serious one, but it's not real. You still remember that [when you're filming]."

Meanwhile, Corrie is still statistically the top soap in Britain, with the majority of fans unlikely to abandon their evening TV binges anytime soon.