Britain is up in arms over the imprisonment of Deirdre Rachid on charges of fraud.

Soap update on Radio 5Live (3' 8')

Deirdre is innocent - a victim of her conman lover - and her 18-month jail sentence is a gross miscarriage of justice.

The 'Free Deirdre' campaign is gaining support.

"I'm shocked Deirdre's gone to jail and I can't believe the judge gave her such a long sentence, " said TV presenter and campaigner Dale Winton, voicing the feelings of the nation.

But just who is Deirdre Rachid? A pillar of the British establishment? Well, no and yes.

No because Deirdre, as a character in Coronation Street, a soap opera on British Television, is fictional.

Yes because the British public is soppy over its soaps - television and radio - and takes their characters very seriously.

A nation goes into mourning if a character dies: floods of tears were shed over John Archer's untimely end in BBC Radio 4's The Archers.

In the case of Deirdre, even the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, has become involved in calling for the Home Secretary, Jack Straw, to intervene.

Presumably, Mr Blair realises that Deirdre is fictional and is just entering into the spirit of things. But some critics say soap mania is nonsense and we should get back to reality.

Others also say it is dangerous, leading to obsessional behaviour such as the stalking of actors by members of the public.

Nonetheless, the popularity of soap operas is international. Brazil has De Cuerpo e Alma; Russia, Dom 7, Podjezd 4.

And they all attract a huge following and media coverage.

So what do you think? Is it all a bit of escapist fun? Or...

Do we take soap operas too seriously?

Soaps reflect issues which are current in society......
June Armstrong Payne, UK

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