Coronation Street is potentially setting the stage for Bethany Platt's dramatic departure as actress Lucy Fallon braces for harrowing scenes. There's turmoil ahead for Bethany when a simple cosmetic procedure in Turkey takes a tragic turn.
After seizing an opportunity to work on an advertorial for a shiny new Turkish clinic, she impulsively opts for liposuction. The plot thickens dramatically when a medical mishap leads to her contracting sepsis, placing Bethany in intensive care and eventually resulting in a life-altering stoma.
The tension escalates from the moment Bethany gets caught up with the prospect of going under the knife after encountering Debbie Webster (portrayed by Sue Devaney, who offers her the fateful job.
The situation soon becomes desperate when Daniel (played by Rob Mallard), Bethany's boyfriend, receives a chilling call informing him that she is critically ill, prompting a frantic race against time to reach her side.
In a devastating twist, the Platts must face the financial consequences of Bethany not disclosing the operation to her insurers, thrusting them into a dire predicament about funding her release from the hospital, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Don't miss...
Corrie star 'leaks' how Gail Platt exits - and fans will be heartbroken [INSIGHT]
Corrie Bernie star's famous wife had to step in after storyline 'got too much' [LATEST]
To ensure credibility and authenticity in storytelling, the show's producers are collaborating closely with Colostomy UK. Giovanni Cinque, the organisation's Marketing and Campaigns Manager, expressed enthusiasm for the storyline: "We're really excited that one of the UK's most loved TV shows is going to feature a major character living with a stoma.
"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. It's also been a pleasure for us to work with the behind-the-scenes teams at Coronation Street on this story."
Lucy revealed her thoughts on the upcoming storyline: "When I first heard about it I was pleased that they have trusted me with it because it's an important storyline and of course, I really enjoy doing issue-based storylines. Obviously this is really hard-hitting, which is exciting from an actor's point of view, but it does come with quite a lot of pressure and responsibility to get it right because this happens to real-life people."
"The storyline is also incredibly important as there are countless horror stories out there of people talking about their experiences of cosmetic surgery abroad. I really hope this storyline can make people rethink going abroad for cosmetic surgery.
The storyline emerges as the UK witnesses a significant surge in patients seeking corrective treatments following botched cosmetic surgeries performed overseas.
A 2023 study* revealed a shocking 94 percent increase in the number of Britons requiring hospital treatment after undergoing cosmetic surgery abroad, with Turkey being responsible for over three-quarters of these procedures.
The same research also unveiled an alarming rise in individuals returning to the UK with complications ranging from issues with wound healing to life-threatening sepsis.
In a bid to raise awareness, Coronation Street has introduced a character living with a stoma bag, reflecting the reality of over 200,000 people in the UK (1 in 335 of the population). Each year, between 13,500 and 21,000 operations are performed on the NHS resulting in stomas being formed.
Coronation Street airs Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8pm on ITV.
