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A soap actress whose own father died of bowel cancer has said she was able to bring “real personal experience” to a role as she portrays a character’s diagnosis with the disease.
Jennifer Metcalfe, who plays Mercedes McQueen in the Channel 4 show Hollyoaks, said the storyline was “incredibly important” to her. She had “jumped at the chance to do anything that might encourage conversation” about bowel cancer and its symptoms.
In recent months, Mercedes has undergone chemotherapy and had a stoma bag fitted.
Metcalfe said she felt it was important to represent the disease accurately, noting that her own father lost his life to bowel cancer when she was 15.
Chief Executive of the charity Bowel Cancer UK, Genevieve Edwards, said the show has helped take “some of the stigma and embarrassment” away from living with a stoma.
Metcalfe’s goal is to give people more confidence to recognize symptoms and take action. She said she “would love people to go away, consider any changes to their bodies and know the right avenues to go to” if they or someone they know is concerned about bowel cancer.
Many people have spoken to Bowel Cancer UK about the show, saying it is helping to raise awareness of the disease and encourage them to get checked.
This storyline has been praised as a potentially life-saving intervention, as early diagnosis can lead to treatment and in many cases, cure of the disease.
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