Crossfire viewers forced to 'switch off' after just minutes in as they're 'traumatised'

Keeley Hawes ' new drama Crossfire caused a stir after the hard-hitting series left viewers "traumatised"

Hawes, 46, is the lead character in the BBC One thriller which is set at a luxury resort in the Canary Islands before the family holiday soon spirals out of control.

A synopsis for the three-part series read: "Sunbathing on her hotel room balcony while on a dream holiday with her family and friends, Jo’s (Hawes) world is turned upside down when shots ring out across the complex. Gunmen, out for revenge, have, in an instant, turned a slice of paradise into a terrifying heart-breaking hell.

The new thriller started on Tuesday evening and is a three-part series (BBC / Dancing Ledge Productions)

"A story of survival and resilience, Crossfire is an edge-of-your-seat nail-biting thriller yet also emotional, intimate and relatable. With the unsuspecting holidaymakers and hotel staff forced to make monumental split-second life or death decisions, the consequences will linger long after the final shots are fired."

The series is not based on a true story and fans will not have to wait to long to get stuck back into the action as the remaining two episodes will be shown on Wednesday, September 21 and Thursday, September 22.

Viewers took to social media to speak about how 'stressful' watching the first episode was (BBC / Dancing Ledge Productions)

However, not everyone was keen on the explosive opening scenes of violence in 'paradise'. One viewer took to Twitter : "Mother of god, just had to turn off new drama #crossfire on BBC1 - way too traumatic for me."

Another added: "Never knew how long I could hold my breath for. Turns out it’s an hour. Just watched @BBCOne #Crossfire! Flip me that was tense!"

A third person wrote: "I think I actually just passed away #Crossfire," while a fourth commented: " #crossfire is a bit bloody edge of your seat stressful."

The last two episodes will air on Wednesday and Thursday evening respectively (BBC / Dancing Ledge Productions)

Last month, Hawes revealed that she is already preparing for life away from acting. She has starred in hit shows such as Line of Duty, Bodyguard, Ashes to Ashes and It's A Sin but the BAFTA TV Award-winning actress has revealed she is ready to embrace life as she gets older, even if that means stepping away from our TV screens.

Speaking to The Mail on Sunday's You magazine, Keeley said: "I love it, I’ve been really lucky but over the past couple of years, like lots of people, you think, 'God, life is short and you’re only here once' – if you believe that, which I do – and there might be other avenues to explore.

"I’ll be 50 in a minute. There might be other things out there for me."

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