Coronation Street star Lucy Fallon has revealed that her character Bethany Platt will face a tough time in the months ahead following her health diagnosis.
Earlier this week Bethany departed the street for a journalistic assignment about a new cosmetic surgery centre in Turkey - and once she was there, she decided to undergo a treatment for liposuction herself.
The operation went badly wrong, however, and in last night's episode, she was dealt the devastating news that as a result she will now need to wear a stoma bag for the rest of her life.
"Bethany feels really embarrassed and ashamed of what she's done and put everyone through," explained Fallon, who returned to the cobbles last Christmas after four years away.
"I don't think Bethany will want anyone to know what's happened to her and how she's ended up with the stoma bag. Obviously she feels it's entirely self-inflicted, which it is, but of course she wasn't to know this was going to happen and go disastrously wrong which is why she is feeling humiliated."
"The next couple of months are definitely going to be really challenging for Bethany," she continued. "I think her biggest struggle will be coming to terms with the fact that this is something she's done to herself.
"Hopefully in time, which I know she will, she'll start to accept what's happened and realise that having a stoma hasn't actually affected her life as much as she probably thought it would, but I do think it will take a couple of setbacks and bumps in the road to eventually get there."
As well as Bethany's mum Sarah (Tina O'Brien), her boyfriend Daniel (Rob Mallard) flew out to Turkey to be at her bedside - and Fallon thinks that the change in Bethany's circumstance may have a negative impact on her relationship with Daniel.
"At first, she's embarrassed and worried about being intimate and actually, It's made her feel even more insecure than she ever felt before," she said.
"Daniel is a really supportive boyfriend so I think with him trying to support and encourage Bethany, she will ultimately just push him away because of her insecurities."
Coronation Street continues Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
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