2022 Edinburgh Fringe

Bowel cancer campaign launches at Fringe

Friday 5th August 2022, 7:49pm

Sarah Mills. Copyright: Andrew Perry

Comedian Sarah Mills, who is bringing her BAFTA Rocliffe Award winning show Badass off the page and onto the stage as her debut solo hour at the Edinburgh Fringe, has launched a movement to raise awareness of bowel cancer.

Launching the campaign, Sarah sat atop a throne of toilet roll as she is set to hand out over 2,000 toilet rolls with QR codes linking to advice on symptoms and support for bowel cancer across the month of August. Sarah is working with Bowel Cancer UK and eco-toilet roll manufacturer Bumboo to provide information and advice to people in an effort to tackle bowel cancer.

Her show charts finding blood in her poo, going through chemotherapy and being left with an invisible disability - a stoma bag - all whilst looking for love.

Sarah Mills says: "At the beginning of 2018 I felt like I was winning at life - the perfect pad, a glamorous job, and friends that made me feel like I was living in the British version of Sex And The City. I was on the hunt for a man, and instead of a handsome prince - I found blood in my poo.

"The next two years I swapped cocktail dresses for hospital gowns, the Lambrini for laxatives and a stable income with debt collectors. Badass is my story, my experiences and my love note to the NHS - but it's more than that. It's about starting a conversation. My bum nearly killed me, and our bums and bowels kill people everyday. Badass is a small part of a bigger movement - a bowel movement if you will - to help people spot the symptoms and get life-saving treatment early."

Badass is at Pleasance Courtyard at 2:05pm, 3-14 & 16-29 Aug. EdFringe.com

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