ITV star slams show axe and calls it ‘a stupid decision’ after channel suddenly pulls the plug

ACTRESS Parminder Nagra has vented her anger after ITV suddenly axed Maternal. 

Parminder played Dr. Maryam Afridi in the medical drama and is furious with telly bosses for suddenly pulling the plug after one series.

Sharing her fury online, the Bend It Like Beckham star retweeted a series of complaints from gutted fans about ITV’s decision.

One even branded the move to cancel Maternal “stupid”.

The message read: “Was a very stupid decision from ITV. BBC always dominate Jan and Feb with their dramas like you said.

“Maternal never stood a chance against DIP, Call the Midwife, Happy Valley and Silent Witness.”

Parminder retweeted another that said: “Why does @ITV axe every decent program I loved maternal!!”

And a third complaint stated: “Disappointed that @ITV are not renewing drama #Maternal for a second series! I really loved the first!”

The Sun exclusively revealed earlier this week that ITV had decided to axe Maternal from its schedule.

Premiering in January, the drama followed a group of female medics as they returned to the ward after maternity leave.

It saw them juggling a crippling work/life balance as they got back into the swing of their careers post-baby.

But despite Maternal boasting a star-studded cast, including Parminder, Sherlock’s Lara Pulver and Mum star Lisa McGrillis, ITV blamed poor ratings on its decision.

A channel insider told The Sun: “It’s been a very difficult decision because the show was much liked at the channel and the viewers who watched it really loved it too. 

“Unfortunately, the audience didn’t come to the drama in the numbers that we’d hoped for.”

Maternal began with an audience of 2.4million in January but it fell to 1.31million by the final episode on February 20.

After making her name in Bend It, Leicester-born Parminder spent six years on US medical drama E.R. so had enjoyed the return to on-screen medicine. 

Launching the six-part series, she had said: “I did feel like medicine was a little bit still in there, even down to technically how to camouflage things for the camera.

“Like when you’re intubating a patient (inserting a tube through a person’s mouth or nose and into the windpipe), you hold your hand in a certain way to mask the fact you’re not really doing it.

“The funniest part was that some of the terminology that I got used to saying on ER, I was told, ‘That’s not how you say it here.’ It’s pronounced differently in Britain.”