Viewers of The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe stoned the actor for his ‘offensive’ voice failure

The new ITV drama about John Darwin, known as ‘Canoe Man’ after he faked his death in 2002, airs on Easter Sunday. But viewers from Hartlepool, where the story takes place, were baffled by the actors’ attempt to speak their regional accents.

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Canoe scam wife Anne Darwin blames ex-husband John for fraud scheme

Viewers of the ITV dramas The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe have called the cast for their “trash effort” in Hartlepool accents.

The new series, which focuses on former teacher John Darwin, who faked his own death in 2002, was deemed “insulting” after the actors attempted to speak with a northeastern accent.

Eddie Marsan plays John, who has been dubbed “the tough enemy” and “terrible” by viewers who watched the first episode on Easter Sunday.

“The thief, his wife and a canoe so, why would ITV think the guys from Teesside spoke with a Geordie accent. This happened in Hartlepool and we DON’T have that accent!!!! Insult!! !!” one person is fired.

Another angry viewer said back: “The Thief, His Wife & The Canoe ” a story researched and filmed… AND THEY DON’T STUDY ABOUT THE ACCIDENT. I watched the trailer, I will. can’t watch the show. We do NOT have a Geordie accent in Hartlepool.”

“The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe. I remember this happening like it was yesterday, but I don’t remember the Hartlepool folk with a Geordie accent. [laughing emoji]” another wrote.

But some people got it, they added that Hartlepool’s accent was hard to understand.

“Lmao all the tank drivers are angry that the canoeing thing was filmed on the cape, not Seaton. And also mad at our voice trash efforts. I mean, stop it. Come on guys, you should know by now, normal people can’t talk like us.”

However, not everyone liked the movie, after viewers called it “literally perfect” and said they “love it so far.”

“Taking to the social media platform, they wrote: ‘This canoe guy really seems like a horrible, hate-filled piece of work and I really don’t think he deserves to do two shows. about him #canoeman #thethiefhiswifeandthecanoe.”

Really disliked Eddie’s character, one person wrote: “Why isn’t anyone talking about the terrible coercive control? The man needs to be in a canoe crash #thethiefhiswifeandthecanoe.”

John Darwin, 71, is a former policeman who, after mounting debt, decided to fake his own death in a canoeing accident in the North Sea in 2002.

He then asks his wife Anne, played by Monica Dolan, to claim £250,000 in life insurance.

John then lived in secrecy for many years in the bed attached to the couple’s wife in Hartlepool.

He sneaks in and sees Anne through a door connecting the two blocks.

After five years, the couple decided to move to Panama and start a new life.

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But their plan fell apart after John discovered he could not live or work in the country without being confirmed by British authorities.

He and his wife spent six years in prison after they were found guilty of fraud.

Catch up on ITV’s four-part drama The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe Sunday or stay up to date on the ITV Hub.

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