A soap actress, whose own father died of bowel cancer, has said she has been able to bring “real personal experience” to the role as she portrays her character’s diagnosis with the disease.
Jennifer Metcalfe, who plays Mercedes McQueen in the E4 show, Hollyoaks, said the story was “incredibly important” to her and she had “jumped at the chance to do anything that might encourage conversation”.
In recent months, Mercedes has undergone chemotherapy and had a stoma bag fitted.
Bowel Cancer UK said including the stoma on screen had helped take “some of the stigma and embarrassment away from it”.
