Corrie star left devastated after her stoma bag leaks in front of crowd

Bethany Platt is set to be left devastated when her stoma bag leaks at The Rovers in unaired Coronation Street scenes.

Bethany Platt’s searing anguish when her boyfriend Daniel Barlow walked in unannounced and saw her stoma bag for the first time was positively primal. Her self-loathing and humiliation were brilliantly conveyed by actress Lucy Fallon, as Bethany erupted into a hysterical tirade - screaming at Daniel to get out.

Left with a perforated bowel and life threatening sepsis, after botched liposuction in Turkey in September, she had been given a cheap deal by the cosmetic clinic she had gone to write about. But doctors were forced to operate in order to save her.

Meanwhile, her family faced a double whammy, as they see-sawed between worrying about Bethany and fearing how they would meet the hospital bills, when it became clear her medical insurance wouldn’t pay. While the usual Platt shenanigans play out all around her, Bethany tries to come-to-terms with the emotional, physical and financial cost of her vanity.

Covering up in baggy clothes, staying in and pushing Daniel - played by Rob Mallard - away, she is terrified of intimacy, convinced he will be repulsed by her stoma. Next week, after he does finally persuade her that he loves her, stoma and all, viewers will see him lure her out on a date.

But we can exclusively reveal that their night in The Rovers ends in disaster when Bethany’s stoma bag leaks in front of everyone and she dashes out - shattered by the shame. No one understands what this feels like better than PE teacher Natalie Tibble, 39, who had a stoma fitted 18 months ago, after suffering with the chronic inflammatory bowel disease ulcerative colitis, and worked closely with Lucy on the Corrie storyline.

She says: “Bethany feeling very embarrassed when her bag leaks is something that is very relatable to anyone who has had a stoma. I can remember my first time when I was in a café and it was absolutely mortifying when my bag leaked in public.

“You feel so self-conscious and I can remember running to the toilet and bursting into tears because I felt so embarrassed.” But Natalie says this fear and self-loathing soon goes.

Now she is practical - packing extra bags and clothes in case of accidents - and takes mishaps in her stride. She says: “My stoma bag has leaked many times since that first day in public, including on the school playing field where I teach. But I have learned to realise that yes you can have some bad days, but it is actually all ok.

“I’ve always got my trusted bag full of spare clothes and stoma bags with me wherever I go.” The Corrie storyline aims to raise awareness of how life is for the one in 225 people currently estimated to be living with a stoma in UK.

As well as working with Natalie, the show has been advised by the charity Colostomy UK. And while the current story is emotional and often shocking, as it unfolds it will make it clear that people with stomas can live full lives.

“It is really important to show that Bethany will be able to lead a normal life in the future and do all the things she did before,” confides Lucy. “At the moment, Bethany feels so embarrassed and ashamed of the whole situation. It is a huge, life-changing thing and she is carrying a lot of guilt because it’s self-inflicted.

“But I wouldn’t like it if Bethany was really sad all the time, because it’s so important to show how she’s going to be absolutely fine.” Lucy has been determined to portray the storyline as realistically as she can and has greatly appreciated Natalie’s input.

She says: “I got a lot of insightful information from Natalie. Everything she told me was super helpful. She told me about her journey to getting a stoma bag, everything she faced, the challenges, but also how it’s not necessarily negatively impacted her life.”

Natalie, who lives in North London, had a stoma fitted in February 2023, after other treatment failed. Now enjoying a fulfilling and happy life, teaching PE in a Secondary school, going to pubs, and even playing rugby, Natalie says she feels honoured to be able to share her story and act as an advisor to the soap.

But she admits that watching Bethany suffer on screen has also brought back lots of memories of how much she also struggled at the start. Praising Lucy for her brilliantly realistic portrayal of how it feels, Natalie says: “Life does change when you have a stoma and it has been an honour to advise Lucy.

“You can be left thinking ‘my life is over’ and watching Bethany’s struggles on-screen has brought it all back to me about how I initially felt. At the start, I really struggled too.

“Lucy was great in wanting to know so much and, as I stressed to her, it is just as important to show the positives and the positive impact a stoma can have on your life. I am proof you can lead a normal life.

“I hadn’t been feeling very well for years and having a stoma has given me back my life.” Like Bethany, Natalie was mortified when her stoma leaked early on, but it’s something she now takes in her stride.

Single at the moment, again like Bethany, Natalie was scared of having a physical relationship. “When I first had my stoma, it most definitely affected my confidence, just as Corrie is showing,” she says.

“I kept thinking nobody would like me with a bag. I was also worried about what would happen if there was suddenly a leak from my bag during any intimate situations.

“My friends kept telling me that if someone didn’t like me just because I had my bag, then they were a waste of space – and of course they were right.” Remaining discreet about her private life, Natalie does say her fears were ill-founded.

And she hopes Bethany will, in time, learn to trust Daniel when he tells her how much he loves her - although she won’t give further details of the Corrie plot. Natalie does say that, like Daniel, the first person she dated post her stoma, never once saw her bag as an issue.

She explains: “I am currently single, but I have dated since my stoma and when it did come to intimacy, they completely understood. I initially felt a bit awkward, but they certainly didn’t make me feel awkward at any time.

“Whilst the relationship didn’t work out, it made me realise not to worry in the future. Life is too short to worry.” Natalie praises the soap for showing how a stoma can affect someone’s mental health.

And we can reveal that viewers will see Bethany dip further into depression, until she eventually seeks solace at a support group. “Like Bethany, I did need to have some counselling, as I lost a lot of confidence after the stoma,” admits Natalie. “It’s so hard for people, because there isn’t much help out there.

“I was very lucky. I had my mum, Kirsty, who was an absolute rock. But the counselling also helped me a lot. Colostomy UK was brilliantly supportive too.”

Now feeling happy and strong, Natalie is sharing her story about working with Corrie to help other people with stomas. “I have always been very sporty and I love playing contact rugby now for Colostomy UK’s team,” she says. “Before I fell ill, I used to play rugby and now I’ve had my stoma, I am able to play it again. I have been playing for a year or so now and I also go out whenever I want.

“Everyone at my school has been brilliantly supportive and all my pupils know about my stoma. I feel so much healthier now with a stoma. I am getting on with my life and I don’t care if people see my bag or not under my clothes when I am out. I won’t let it define me and I am very open about it all.”

And Natalie hopes that viewers will see Bethany embracing life again before too long. She says: “My life isn’t perfect – I had a leak yesterday – but I am in a great place.

“I hope this storyline will help others and make people realise it’s ok to ask for help, too.” Pleased to be highlighting this important issue, Lucy says Natalie’s positivity has made her determined that Bethany’s journey should end on a happy note.

She adds: “It’s important to highlight that Bethany isn’t going to be restricted in anything that she does just because she’s got a stoma bag, and that life will be normal.”

If you have been affected by Bethany’s storyline, help can be found at Colostomy UK – www.colostomyuk.org . The charity also runs a 24-hour free helpline – 0800 328 4257