Coronation Street slammed by parents over ‘disgusting’ cancer storyline

Coronation Street has been forced to respond to complaints from parents over their ‘disgusting’ cancer storyline

coronation street fiz tyrone hope cancer storyline

by Kayleigh Dray |
Published on

Viewers of ITV’s Corrie have watched as Fiz (Jennie McAlpine) and Tyrone (Alan Halsall) struggled to come to terms with the fact that their 5-year-old daughter Hope is very ill.

When they took her to a doctor for answers, they were told that the little girl had ​neuroblastoma​neuroblastoma​, a form of cancer which affects 100 children every year and has a 67% survival rate.

But, despite it seeming as if Hope might not even make it until Christmas, she has made a rapid recovery.

And, in last Friday’s episode, Fiz and Tyrone were told that Hope's cancer had been cured and that she was entering remission after just a couple of months of treatment.

While some soap fans were pleased to finally see a happy ending in Weatherfield, some real-life parents have lashed out at Coronation Street writers for their ‘disgusting trivialisation’ of the storyline.

Victoria Young and her husband Rob, whose 3-year-old daughter is battling the same condition, took to Facebook to slam the soap.

Victoria wrote: “I am honestly shocked and disgusted at Coronation Street’s childhood cancer storyline.

“In a matter of 3 months hope has been diagnosed and is in remission. Well, let me tell you something Coronation Street; our lovely girl has been having gruelling, hard, life-changing treatments and is STILL not in remission!”

She continued: “I was so pleased when I heard Coronation Street were doing a storyline on neuroblastoma to raise much needed awareness, but the whole thing has been a farce.

“Hope hasn't stayed one night in hospital, [while my] Ruby has slept in her own bed for roughly 4 nights out of the last 6 weeks!

“Tyrone and Fiz were in the pub the week she got diagnosed, [meanwhile] I couldn't find the strength to breathe when Ruby got diagnosed, let alone go to the pub.

“Not only am I disappointed in this storyline, [but] I and disgusted and offended they have made it look like a walk in the park.”

Sharing a number of heart wrenching images of her own 3-year-old daughter going through her cancer treatment, Victoria added: “This is what cancer has done to our baby.

“It certainly is not the way coronation street have portrayed it to be!!!”

A Coronation Street spokesman has since defended the soap from criticism, stating: "We have not at any stage said Hope is cured at all.

“This is an ongoing story which has been researched thoroughly."

What do you think of the storyline - has it been handled sensitively, in your opinion?

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