Television host Elena Letuchaya faces public backlash and calls for cancellation following her investigation into a Moscow dental clinic on her show Novy Revizorro.
Social media users flooded Instagram with complaints accusing the presenter of lacking medical competence and attempting to generate tabloid scandal at the expense of a qualified doctor.
The controversy stems from an episode featuring patient Elena Svetlova, who accused dental surgeon Aleksey Frolov and his clinic of providing substandard treatment. Svetlova claimed that she suffered severe complications and lost several teeth during her care, alleging that Frolov subsequently refused to continue treating her.
Letuchaya arrived at the medical facility with a camera crew to confront Frolov directly, asking how he could refuse to care for his own patient. Frolov declined to participate in the interview, telling Letuchaya that he would not speak with her because she was incompetent in medical and dental matters. He accused her of seeking hype and using tabloid methods to tarnish the reputation of his business, while asserting that he was proud of his clinic and its work. He added that professional confidentiality prevented him from discussing Svetlova's medical care on camera.
Viewers defend Moscow dentist on social media
Following the broadcast, numerous viewers came forward to defend Frolov and criticize the program's conduct. An Instagram user under the handle budnistomatologa stated that Novy Revizorro and Letuchaya had hit rock bottom by making false accusations against the surgeon. The user described the broadcast as a clear example of consumer extremism in Russia.
Another user, irinapromed, published a video captioned with slogans supporting Frolov and questioning how Letuchaya could treat a doctor in such a manner. She noted that Letuchaya had no medical education and was simply a person from the street attempting to boost her show ratings by attacking healthcare professionals. The commenter asked whether Letuchaya considered herself to be Rospotrebnadzor or the state sanitary inspection service, suggesting she should stick to inspecting kebab shops instead.
Critics also targeted Letuchaya's personal Instagram account, leaving comments demanding that she stop interfering in medical matters and issue a formal apology to Frolov.
Background on consumer watchdog television in Russia
Letuchaya is a prominent Russian television journalist best known for hosting Revizorro, an investigative consumer rights show where camera crews inspect restaurants, hotels, and public establishments unannounced. Rospotrebnadzor is Russia's federal agency responsible for consumer rights protection and human welfare, while Sanepidstantsiya refers to the country's sanitary and epidemiological inspection service. Meta Platforms, which owns Instagram, is designated as an extremist organization and banned in Russia.
Previous physical altercation during clinic investigation
The backlash comes shortly after earlier reports that Letuchaya was physically attacked while conducting another investigation at a medical clinic. During that previous incident, a man and a woman who identified themselves as patients assaulted the television host with their fists and attempted to seize her microphone.
