EastEnders slammed by horrified survivors of Marchioness Riverboat Disaster for recreating crash for 35th anniversary
SURVIVORS of a Thames boat horror say EastEnders has copied the tragedy.
One says he was traumatised by a “copycat” trailer for the BBC soap’s 35th anniversary.
The clip shows cast members on a boozy river trip, which is set to end in disaster with one dying.
But show chiefs stand accused of copying the 1989 Marchioness disaster in which 51 people died.
The pleasure steamer was hit by a dredger on the Thames and sank near Southwark Bridge.
Mark Brewer-Sage, 46, the youngest survivor of the tragedy, said: “The trailer with the boat going through the central arch of Southwark Bridge gave me major anxiety.
“I don’t see this as a coincidence. They could have shot on any of the other bridges. This has been deliberately copied.
“The writers and execs need to be brought to task. Shame on you. It’s so close to the bone.”
The upcoming 35th episode sees the EastEnders cast staging a bash on a boat on the Thames which appears to be in collision with something before it starts to sink.
It ends with a character, who’s yet to be identified, dying after being thrown into the water.
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The BBC insist this section was not filmed near Southwark Bridge.
A spokeswoman for the soap said: “EastEnders is a fictional drama and isn’t based on any real life events. We always carefully consider the content of our episodes.”
The episode will air as part of the anniversary week which begins on Monday.
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