Poldark sparks viewer complaints on Twitter… because Aidan Turner kept his shirt on

BBC One’s Sunday night drama has become renowned for Turner’s topless physique
Steamy: Can anyone guess why Poldark has been so popular?
Ben Travis21 April 2015

As the final episode of BBC’s historical Sunday night drama Poldark draws closer, the penultimate episode left fans disappointed in one regard – a lack of scenes in which lead actor Aidan Turner takes his top off to go and till the fields of Cornwall.

The series has proved appointment viewing for core fans, who as well as following the developing romance plot between tin mine owner Ross Poldark and his wife Demelza, have tuned in week on week for a glimpse of the Irish actor toiling shirtless under the Cornish sun.

A warning from the BBC that the penultimate episode contained ‘upsetting scenes’ launched many jokes on Twitter that Turner would not be removing his shirt at all during the hour-long instalment.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">Upsetting scenes? <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Poldark?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-62131-https://twitter.com/hashtag/Poldark?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#Poldark</a> keeps his shirt on again. Ah for fecks sake.— AM Scanlon (@amscanlon) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/amscanlon/status/589881414373527552" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-62131-https://twitter.com/amscanlon/status/589881414373527552" data-vars-event-id="c23">April 19, 2015</a>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">Despite the <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/BBCOne" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-62131-https://twitter.com/BBCOne" data-vars-event-id="c23">@BBCOne</a> warning before <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Poldark?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-62131-https://twitter.com/hashtag/Poldark?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#Poldark</a> my wife is traumatised by some of the scenes in which Aiden Turner kept his shirt on..— VERTHLESS (@verthless) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/verthless/status/589909314090967042" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-62131-https://twitter.com/verthless/status/589909314090967042" data-vars-event-id="c23">April 19, 2015</a>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">Poldark contains scenes that some may find upsetting. I think they mean Aidan keeps his shirt on.— Jamie Henderson (@jsdhenderson) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/jsdhenderson/status/589881989702033411" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-62131-https://twitter.com/jsdhenderson/status/589881989702033411" data-vars-event-id="c23">April 19, 2015</a>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">Poldark contains "scenes some viewers may find upsetting". I'm assuming Aidan Turner keeps his shirt on in this episode.— Andy (@andytoots) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/andytoots/status/589882370406412290" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-62131-https://twitter.com/andytoots/status/589882370406412290" data-vars-event-id="c23">April 19, 2015</a>

Sadly their predictions were correct, with viewers’ concerns growing as the episode progressed.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">Why has Ross Poldark kept his shirt on this week? There's only five minutes left fgs. <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Poldark?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-62131-https://twitter.com/hashtag/Poldark?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#Poldark</a>— Sazzadee (@sazzadee) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/sazzadee/status/589894588917223425" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-62131-https://twitter.com/sazzadee/status/589894588917223425" data-vars-event-id="c23">April 19, 2015</a>

With no topless Poldark moments arriving in the episode’s last five minutes, many were left disappointed.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">All bad news on the <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Poldark?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-62131-https://twitter.com/hashtag/Poldark?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#Poldark</a> front tonight. <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/AidanTurner" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-62131-https://twitter.com/AidanTurner" data-vars-event-id="c23">@AidanTurner</a> didn't get his shirt off once.— jacqui walls (@jacquiwalls) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/jacquiwalls/status/589912371746996224" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-62131-https://twitter.com/jacquiwalls/status/589912371746996224" data-vars-event-id="c23">April 19, 2015</a>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">Ross just kept his shirt on for a whole episode of <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Poldark?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-62131-https://twitter.com/hashtag/Poldark?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#Poldark</a> I suspect a BBC editor will be looking for a new job tomorrow...— Paul Hewes (@hewesyp) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hewesyp/status/589897892212637696" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-62131-https://twitter.com/hewesyp/status/589897892212637696" data-vars-event-id="c23">April 19, 2015</a>

But for some, at least they got a fix of Poldark’s other trademark – his unparalleled brooding powers.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WatercoolerMoment?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-62131-https://twitter.com/hashtag/WatercoolerMoment?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#WatercoolerMoment</a> <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Poldark?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-62131-https://twitter.com/hashtag/Poldark?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#Poldark</a> sadly another week where Poldark kept his shirt on, but who cares when we got to see more of his brooding...— Colin Leslie Eyewear (@ColinLeslieUK) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/ColinLeslieUK/status/590072562455080960" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-62131-https://twitter.com/ColinLeslieUK/status/590072562455080960" data-vars-event-id="c23">April 20, 2015</a>

With the final episode of the series set to air this Sunday, fans will be hoping that Aiden’s chest makes a magnificent reappearance before the long wait for the confirmed second series begins. Ah well, there’s always iPlayer.

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