Collaborating with Coronation Street to Raise Awareness about Ovarian Cancer

Our Head of Research & Policy, Marie-Claire Platt, talks through our collaboration with Coronation Street.

When I first started at Ovarian Cancer Action a decade ago, many were still calling ovarian cancer a silent killer. Today, over five million viewers each night are watching a young woman navigate a diagnosis and treatment that affects over 7,500 women every year.

When Coronation Street first approached us with their idea for Toyah Battersby’s storyline we had some concerns. There’s a lot of misinformation online about using pregnancy tests to diagnose ovarian cancer. We knew that weaving an ovarian cancer storyline into the UK’s most watched soap would reach millions, breaking the silence and stigma often associated with this disease. But we were clear that we had to help do it in a way that didn’t add to that misinformation.

Right from the start these concerns disappeared. We were so impressed by Coronation Street’s commitment to medical accuracy – something you wouldn’t always think of when you think of soap operas.

We worked with the storyline developers right from the beginning, shaping Toyah’s diagnosis into a rarer form of the disease – Germ Cell ovarian Cancer – to bring the drama of Toyah’s pregnancy storyline together with the very rare instances where a positive pregnancy test can indicate ovarian cancer.

From that moment onwards we provided the storyline team with all sorts of briefings – from what scans she would be having, her treatment regime, to the conversations she would be having with her doctors.

Most importantly we’ve shared stories from patients who have experienced the same diagnosis as Toyah. We reviewed scripts and talked through the longer-term consequences of the disease for Toyah and her family so that this storyline stays relevant in the months (and years!) to come.

Our role was to ensure that the storyline was not only accurate but also reflective of real patient experiences.

Despite it being a hard storyline, it’s also been a lot of fun. We’ve had some lighthearted moments reading through scripts.  Toyah hasn’t just had to navigate a rare ovarian cancer diagnosis, but also an affair with her sister’s husband, while her sister is busy in a cult... The life of a soap character is tough!

Once the storyline was locked down our marketing team set to work on making sure that as many people as possible had the chance to learn about ovarian cancer. We created a Corrie hub on our website so anyone curious about Toyah’s condition using google could find accurate information. We’re also following the story on social media and explaining different parts of Toyah’s experience, alongside an exclusive in the Sunday Mirror. And since then, the story has taken on a life of its own!

A spike in web searches related to ovarian cancer after the episode aired.

Ovarian cancer has been mentioned multiple times in The Sun, Daily Express, OK! and The Metro as well as major regional papers. And after Monday night’s episode we saw significant spikes in searches related to ovarian cancer and Toyah’s storyline. To date millions of people have learned more about ovarian cancer. And we’ve only just started.

Working with the Coronation Street team has reaffirmed how important partnerships are. By combining our expertise in women’s health with the show’s storytelling prowess, we’ve managed to touch hearts and minds in a way that few campaigns can.

Together, we have created more than just a storyline; we have sparked conversations, increased awareness, and most importantly, given hope to countless women and their families. This is the true essence of our work, and I am proud to have been a part of it.