Home > Campaigns > Stoma Aware – Working with Coronation Street

Colostomy UK and people living with a stoma have been working alongside the team at ITV’s Coronation Street since the beginning of 2024 as character Bethany Platt, played by Lucy Fallon had stoma surgery following a botched operation in Turkey which led to an infection, Sepsis, and then a permanent stoma. 

What is a stoma?

A stoma is an opening on the surface of the abdomen which has been surgically created to divert the flow of faeces or urine. People who have had stoma surgery are sometimes known as ‘ostomates’.

It is now estimated that one in 335 people in the UK are currently living with a stoma.

Individuals of all ages can have a stoma. Stoma surgery is undertaken to treat a range of illnesses including cancer, diverticulitis and Crohn’s disease or following a trauma to the abdomen. Find out more here

How have we supported ITV and Coronation Street.

Initially we supported the ITV research team to make sure that from a medical, practical, and emotional perspective the scenes were as accurate as possible, reflecting the challenges that people can face living with a stoma, but also that in most cases stomas are life enabling.

We also met with actor Lucy Fallon where two people living with a stoma shared their own personal experiences.

Why is Coronation Street’s stoma story important?

In simple fashion, because it will help make our country more Stoma Aware.

Even though public awareness has grown considerably over the last few years thanks to a number of celebrities revealing they have had surgery, the challenges that the 200,000 plus people living with a stoma in the UK face are less known, which means that we as a society and as individuals are not as aware as we should be of the choices that we can make to positively improve their quality of life.

We really hope that Bethany’s journey will go a long way in helping to educate the audience, and thus help to create a more Stoma Aware UK.

Read the initial ITV Coronation Street press release here

Interview with Lucy Fallon

Check out our interview with Lucy Fallon on the challenges of plying a character who is living with a stoma

Coronation Street airs every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on ITV and on Catch up on ITV X