Celebrities With Stoma Bags: 9 Publicly Shared Stories

Updated October 4, 2026 · SIIL editorial team

Sometimes the search for “celebrities with stoma bags” is really a quieter question: Will I still recognize my life after this? Seeing a familiar face talk about a pouch can make the future feel a little less unfamiliar.

Here are nine public accounts worth reading, with sources you can follow. There are athletes, broadcasters, models, and people whose work involves making us laugh. You do not need to match their achievements. Getting dressed, meeting a friend, or having a pleasantly uneventful Tuesday is allowed to be the goal.

Sources checked October 4, 2026. The dates below identify the account or event, rather than certify anyone’s current medical status.

Which celebrities have spoken about an ostomy bag?

“Stoma bag,” “ostomy bag,” and “colostomy bag” often get mixed together in celebrity lists. We keep the terminology used by the person or a reliable source and distinguish historical experiences from ongoing accounts.

Presenters, models, and creators sharing life with a stoma

1. Adele Roberts: a stoma on the starting line

Broadcaster Adele Roberts has spoken openly about life after bowel cancer surgery. Her sporting story also has a clear official record: Guinness World Records documents her completion of all seven World Marathon Majors with a stoma, finishing the set in Sydney on August 31, 2025.

It is an extraordinary achievement. It is also someone else’s achievement, not a training assignment for your recovery. The useful part is being able to picture a life containing interests, plans, and a pouch at the same time. Read the official record.

2. Mollie Pearce: visibility beyond a medical story

Model and television personality Mollie Pearce is known for The Traitors and Dancing on Ice. Her Crohn’s & Colitis UK ambassador profile says she has lived with a stoma since age 18, after being diagnosed with colitis at 11.

Her public profile puts a younger person with a stoma into everyday entertainment and fashion conversations. That visibility matters: a bag can be one detail in a much bigger life. You can appreciate it without deciding to share pictures of your own body. Read Mollie’s official ambassador profile.

3. Hannah Witton: explaining the everyday details

Author and creator Hannah Witton wrote about emergency surgery on January 14, 2018, following a severe ulcerative colitis flare. In her own account, she carefully identifies her operation as an ileostomy, rather than a colostomy.

Her writing makes room for the practical learning curve: understanding a pouch, getting used to a changed body, and talking about subjects people often avoid. A recognizable voice discussing those details can be reassuring when all the terminology is new. Read Hannah’s first-person article.

4. Louise Thompson: sharing news on her own terms

Made in Chelsea personality Louise Thompson publicly revealed her stoma bag in April 2024. ITV’s report reproduces her announcement and places it alongside her previously disclosed ulcerative colitis diagnosis.

Her announcement is also a reminder that telling people about surgery does not have to follow a polished script. You can share a photograph, send a private message, use humor, or keep the details within a small circle. There is no compulsory reveal. Read the report of Louise’s announcement.

5. Blake Beckford: a fitness model’s own account

In his story for Oxford Colon Cancer Trust, Blake Beckford describes living with ulcerative colitis, undergoing surgery that gave him an ileostomy, and later competing in fitness modeling. He also describes a difficult recovery, including needing help from other people.

Both parts belong in the story. A later photograph cannot show every stage that came before it. If exercise is something you want to return to, your own care team can help you plan around your surgery and recovery. Read Blake’s account.

Athletes who returned to sport after ostomy surgery

6. Rolf Benirschke: returning to the NFL

Former San Diego Chargers kicker Rolf Benirschke has spent years speaking about his experience of ostomy surgery. In a Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation interview, he describes the fears he had about ordinary activities and his future in football. The Foundation records that he returned for seven more NFL seasons after surgery.

His story also emphasizes contact with other people who understand the experience. That can be useful even when your sporting ambitions stop at a walk around the neighborhood. Read Rolf’s interview.

7. Al Geiberger: back on the golf course

Golfer Al Geiberger, widely known as “Mr. 59,” had an ileostomy in 1980. The official 1984 PGA TOUR guide documents his surgery and return to the tour. His famous round of 59 took place in 1977, before that operation—a small detail that often gets lost when inspiring stories are shortened.

The chronology matters. His place here rests on a documented return to professional sport after surgery. See Geiberger’s profile in the PGA TOUR guide, printed page 67.

Comedy, acting, and different ways of coping

8. Matt Forde: making room for humor and help

Comedian and broadcaster Matt Forde discussed his colostomy after spinal cancer surgery in an August 2024 interview with Colostomy UK. He spoke about adapting to the change, the help of his stoma nurse, and his wife’s support.

Humor is part of how he tells his story. Help is part of it too. You do not have to be effortlessly independent—or particularly funny—to deserve support while you work out a new routine. Read Matt’s interview.

9. Matthew Perry: a temporary colostomy in his past

Matthew Perry described nine months with a colostomy following a 2018 emergency. His 2022 GQ interview covers that temporary experience and subsequent surgery. Read the interview.

What these stories can offer you

Your recovery does not need an audience

Public stories can open a window when the future feels small. They cannot tell you how quickly you should recover, how your body will feel, or whether you will love your reflection next Thursday. You are allowed to be grateful, frustrated, relieved, worried, or several of those before breakfast.

Choose the accounts that leave you feeling understood. If a feed leaves you comparing bodies or recovery timelines, take a break from it. Our guide to living with an ostomy brings the conversation back to everyday life.

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Your clothes can fit your plans

A comfortable outfit is a perfectly respectable small win. Some people like their pouch covered; others are comfortable showing it. Your preference can change with the day, the outfit, or the weather. If you like yours covered, here are ostomy bag covers made for that.

If you would like a clothing layer around your pouch, explore SIIL ostomy wraps or ostomy belts. Choose according to the garment’s actual design, your fit, and your comfort. The people profiled above are not being presented as SIIL customers or endorsers.

Questions about celebrities and stoma bags