EastEnders has an important opportunity for change with Alfie's storyline
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EastEnders spoilers follow.
One of EastEnders’ most important ongoing storylines at the moment is Alfie Moon’s prostate cancer.
Unfortunately, since it began last summer, the character’s journey has been lacking in screen-time. But now the BBC soap has an opportunity to make a huge impact with an upcoming heartbreaking moment.
In spoilers detailing the week ahead, Alfie is unable to make it to the toilet in time, and will wet himself in front of friends at The Queen Vic. Shane Richie, who plays Alfie, has explained that he pitched the heartbreaking scene himself, and I for one am grateful that he did.
Incontinence is a distressing reality for sufferers of many conditions, and as Alfie’s ordeal will highlight, this includes prostate cancer. According to Prostate Cancer UK, the charity working alongside EastEnders, around one in three men over 65 experience urinary incontinence issues. In addition, one in 20 men aged 60 and over will suffer from bowel incontinence.
The latter brings me to the condition I live with: Crohn’s Disease. Those of us with Inflammatory Bowel Disease, including Crohn’s and Ulcerative colitis, also experience incontinence; and the charity Crohn’s and Colitis UK lists two kinds of bowel incontinence.
‘Urge incontinence’ reflects those who cannot reach the bathroom in time, while ‘passive incontinence’ refers to those who pass poo while they are unaware of it.
If you find the above uncomfortable to think about, please try and imagine the situation from our point of view. Through beloved soap characters like Alfie, you might finally be able to do so. Many issue-led topics have been broadcast through EastEnders; but so far, bladder and bowel incontinence simply hasn’t been given the airtime it deserves.
The last time the show referenced the subject was when Jane Beale suffered spinal injuries in 2016; but I hope to see it covered on a long-term basis. Incontinence is not a one-off experience that can be glossed over and forgotten for real-life sufferers, despite this being the case for many problems in the world of soap.
It should be noted that Coronation Street recently utilised Paul Foreman’s terminal battle with motor neurone disease to sensitively explore incontinence. As an upsetting consequence of his deteriorating mobility, Paul had an accident at home.
The scene was given the necessary screen time to help the audience understand the character’s anguish. In contrast, Alfie’s diagnosis in EastEnders has so far been neglected. His recovery from a prostatectomy and subsequent appointments for hormone injections and radiotherapy have been sidelined in favour of other storylines.
While we’ve been transfixed by The Six and their efforts to cover up the murder of Keanu Taylor, more time spent on what promised to be an emotional and sensitive depiction of prostate cancer would be welcome.
With Alfie distracted by keeping Phil Mitchell’s cheating secret and supporting troubled friend Linda Carter, the hope now is that he will take centre stage. What better way to put him there than to tackle something that will encourage people to speak out and feel much less alone?
Serious toilet talk is such a rarity in soap that the time feels right to break this taboo at long last. EastEnders has, in the past, made light of toilet urgency. When Freddie Slater tried to help Alfie cast his ex Kat Slater as Snow White in Walford’s pantomime, he laced Honey Mitchell’s drink with a laxative. To those who suffer from debilitating incontinence, this kind of plot twist isn’t funny.
There is great potential here to educate viewers about a side effect of prostate cancer treatment that they may have previously been unaware of. To build on this, exploring Alfie’s mindset, instead of following up with a lengthy screen-break, would be crucial to anyone who shares in his turmoil.
Such a move could pave the way for the groundbreaking portrayal of Crohn’s and other conditions which link to incontinence; although we wouldn’t wish to detract from the current storyline at this time.
Prostate Cancer UK has been campaigning with the tagline ‘Boys need Bins’ for sanitary waste bins in men’s public toilets. EastEnders has a chance to raise much-needed awareness not only for men, but for all who face incontinence.
For those of us who can’t go out without knowing where the nearest facilities are, while worrying we will be judged for using an accessible toilet, this would be an empowering, comforting step in the right direction from EastEnders.
Amid the aftermath of its gripping murder plot, it’s time to be braver and bolder, dedicating research towards issues like incontinence. Airing an episode with Alfie at its heart, as he copes with this new aspect of his daily life, would be a promising start.
For EastEnders, there’s never been a better time to lead the way. Thanks to Shane's insightful suggestion, the show is perfectly poised to put the spotlight on a subject many have felt too ashamed to discuss, opening a dialogue at last.
For more information on Alfie's prostate cancer storyline in EastEnders, you can find resources through the BBC Action Line website, or on 08000 560 190 at any time for a record message. Viewers are also encouraged to contact Prostate Cancer UK and Macmillan Cancer Support.
EastEnders airs on Mondays - Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.
Read more EastEnders spoilers on our dedicated homepage
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