Stella McCartney and 'Sex Education' Cast Star in Breast Cancer PSA
For her seventh annual breast cancer awareness campaign, Stella McCartney, British fashion designer and daughter of Sir Paul McCartney of the Beatles, teamed up with the cast of the hit Netflix series "Sex Education" to create a comedy sketch about the importance of breast self-exams.
McCartney's mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1995. It metastasized to her liver and she died three years later, in 1998, at the age of 56. "My mum Linda remains forever in my heart and motivates me to not rest until we have raised enough funds and awareness to end this horrific disease," McCartney explained recently.
In the three-minute film, "Sex Education" actors Aimee Lou Wood, Chinenye Ezeudu, Sami Outalbali, Mimi Keene, Chaneil Kular and Simone Ashley sit in a classroom watching an '80s-style PSA about breast cancer. McCartney plays Ella Allets, the host of the PSA, whose outdated information about the disease leaves the students horrified.
Viv, played by Ezeudu, is quick to correct the myths that cell phones, bras and deodorant cause breast cancer, as well as the misconception that the disease always presents as a lump (sometimes it can be a rash or an inverted nipple).
Then Rahim (Outalbali) asks if the others have heard of TTT: Toilet, Teeth, Tits. "It's a self-examination routine," he explains. Go to the toilet, brush your teeth and examine your tits. "The sooner you detect breast cancer, the greater the chance of successful treatment. TTT helps you remember."
"It was so fun filming and it's such an important campaign to be a part of, as the subject is close to all of our hearts," Ezeudu shared.
McCartney hopes partnering with the cast will help raise awareness among a younger audience than her brand usually reaches. "It's my ultimate hope that young women will integrate these three simple steps into their morning routines and that we can save them and their families the horrendous impact of this disease."
Watch the film and find a downloadable educational packet on the Stella McCartney brand website, and read more stories about breast cancer survivors here.
