The Night Manager finale: Elizabeth Debicki torture scene criticised by domestic violence activists

Debicki's character Jed Marshall is seen having her head plunged under water while wearing a revealing negligee

Elizabeth Debicki undergoes torture in a bath as Jed Marshall in The Night Manager (BBC)

The Night Manager finale has been marred by controversy after domestic violence activists fiercely criticised a “gratuitous” torture scene involving half-dressed lead actress Elizabeth Debicki.

Debicki’s character Jed Marshall was seen having her head plunged under water while wearing a flimsy satin slip with a plunging neckline. She was covered in cuts and bruises after being beaten up.

Charity worker Charlotte MacDonald told The Telegraph that she found the scene “offensive and degrading”, concluding that it amounted to little more than “transparent titillation”.

Marsha Scott, CEO of Scottish Women’s Aid, added that producers are either “part of the problem or part of the solution” and criticised the BBC for “telling the same old hackneyed story (that) can effectively revictimise women”.

Negative reactions to the scene could dent the BBC’s improving reputation for presenting more strong women in its crime dramas, most notably in Happy Valley.

The big-budget BBC adaptation of John le Carré’s 1993 spy thriller proved hugely popular, drawing an average 6.6 million viewers for its last episode.

However, a glaring continuity error did not escape the beady-eyed audience when Tom Hiddleston’ Jonathan Pine somehow managed to keep his suit trousers bone dry despite dragging Freddie Hamid’s corpse into a swimming pool after strangling him.

“Did he have a spare pair of trousers with him just in case?” wrote one Twitter user. “Did he spend an hour drying them with a hairdryer?”

Discussions are already underway for a possible second series of The Night Manager, with le Carré reportedly “very involved” in creating a new storyline.

The BBC is yet to respond to our request for comment on the torture scene.