When Bethany Platt (Lucy Fallon) returned to Coronation Street at the start of this year, a love triangle storyline kicked off involving her, Daniel Osbourne (Rob Mallard) and Daisy Midgeley (Charlotte Jordan). It ultimately resulted in Daniel and Bethany getting together and Daisy starting a relationship with Ryan Connor (Ryan Prescott). While they all managed to move forward, Daniel and Daisy have remained friends – which has understandably troubled Bethany.
The character is now in Turkey after accepting a writing job over there. Unbeknownst to Bethany, this trip abroad is going to change her life forever. With Bethany away, Sarah (Tina O’Brien) is dismissive when Carla (Alison King) flippantly suggests that Daniel and Daisy might get back together.
Having returned home from visiting Daisy, Daniel takes a call from a Turkish number. His focus then shifts dramatically as he rushes to find Sarah to inform her that Bethany is in intensive care. At the hospital, Daniel calls Sarah and explains that Bethany had liposuction surgery and has now contracted sepsis. When Sarah eventually arrives to see her daughter, she breaks the news to Bethany that she’s been fitted with a stoma bag, and will have it for the rest of her life.
Coronation Street is about to highlight the rise in botched cosmetic surgeries carried out overseas. This autumn, Bethany Platt will be left traumatised after receiving a cosmetic liposuction procedure in Turkey that goes disastrously wrong. Viewers will see Bethany, played by Lucy Fallon, in a critical condition after contracting sepsis as a result of the botched procedure, leading to her living with a permanent stoma.
The storyline comes as the UK has seen a significant rise in patients seeking corrective treatments from botched cosmetic surgeries performed abroad. In 2023, the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons found that the number of people needing hospital treatment in the UK after getting cosmetic surgery abroad increased by 94 per cent in three years, with procedures in Turkey accounting for more than three quarters.
The storyline sees Bethany accept a job to write an advert for a new cosmetic surgery facility in Turkey, and decides to undergo a liposuction treatment herself. Daniel, Bethany’s boyfriend, takes a call from the Turkish hospital with the horrifying news that Bethany is in intensive care and rushes to the airport. The situation worsens when it transpires that Bethany didn’t declare the surgery on her travel insurance, leaving her family to desperately work out how to raise enough money to get her discharged and given the appropriate care.
The show’s producers chose to feature a character living with a stoma bag as just over 200,000 people in the UK have one. Coronation Street has been working closely with Colostomy UK to tell Bethany’s story. Giovanni Cinque, Marketing & Campaigns Manager at Colostomy UK, said: “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.”
Speaking about her forthcoming storyline, Fallon said: “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.”
“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.”
Bethany's Story: A Wake-Up Call For Cosmetic Surgery Tourism
The story will shine a light on the ongoing complications that come with popular surgeries such as liposuction, bum lifts and breast enlargements. The Independent previously reported that hundreds of UK women have had to seek urgent hospital care after botched surgeries from unregulated practitioners.
Behind The Scenes: Colostomy UK and Coronation Street
The soap opera has been working closely with Colostomy UK to ensure that Bethany's storyline is both realistic and sensitive. This partnership demonstrates the commitment of the show to raise awareness about the challenges faced by people with stomas. The organization is dedicated to providing support and information to those living with a stoma, and their involvement in the storyline will help to break down stigma and improve understanding of the condition.
Moving Forward
While Bethany's journey will be difficult, it is also a testament to the strength and resilience of those living with a stoma. Her story will provide a platform for important conversations about the risks of cosmetic surgery abroad, the challenges of living with a stoma, and the importance of seeking qualified and regulated care. Coronation Street's commitment to tackling such important social issues reinforces its role as a show that reflects the lives of its viewers, offering insight, support, and understanding.
