Look Back & Track: 1 in 4 Brits don’t feel comfortable looking at their poo
Monday 21 July 2025
Look Back & Track, the latest campaign from Andrex® and Bowel Cancer UK reveals 1 in 4 Brits (24%) won’t look at their poo, despite it being a natural and free health tracker. This partnership aims to change this, encouraging people to be less embarrassed, more in tune with their toilet habits and know what’s normal for them.
As a nation, we’re tracking-obsessed. Andrex® research reveals that 41% of us track our health, with the average Brit owning at least one health tracker, most commonly a smart watch or phone app (19% for both). Top markers to track include heart rate (45%) and sleep (43%), yet only 15% of those who track their health monitor their bowel movements.
Look Back & Track by Andrex®, in partnership with Bowel Cancer UK, is designed to be a nudge to the nation not to miss this crucial health check, reminding them to track their poo and pooing habits, and contact their doctor if they spot something that’s not normal for them.
Changes in pooing habits, like going more or less frequently, having diarrhoea or constipation that might come and go, or seeing blood in your poo could all be signs of a bowel-related issue. Despite this, the research shows that 15% of us wouldn’t do anything if we noticed these changes. Look Back & Track is about changing this narrative, easing embarrassment and encouraging people to visit the partnership hub for more information and speak to a GP about any bowel-related concerns.
This campaign is part of a three-year partnership between Bowel Cancer UK and Andrex®, which has seen a series of public activations launched to help drive earlier diagnosis of bowel cancer. This has included TV adverts, out-of-home advertising and on-pack presence, with bowel cancer symptoms being featured on Andrex® toilet tissue, as part of the charity’s award-winning #GetOnARoll campaign.
Genevieve Edwards, Chief Executive at Bowel Cancer UK comments: “We're delighted to be partnering with Andrex® on this campaign, aiming to increase the amount of people tracking their poo and pooing habits. We always want people to track their poo, know what's normal for them and watch out for signs of something more serious. If you're worried or feel that something's not right, it's important to speak to your GP.”
Niamh Finan, Marketing Director at Andrex® comments: “We are currently on a mission to break down the embarrassment barriers when it comes to the toilet and encourage the nation to ‘Get Comfortable’ with their bowel health. We have partnered with Bowel Cancer UK to change this narrative and tackle the stigma around pooing. Our joint mission is to get the nation to tackle the embarrassment around pooing and drive earlier diagnosis of bowel cancer. Encouraging people to look back and track their poo is a step towards achieving this.”
The main symptoms to watch out for when tracking your poo are: bleeding from your bottom or blood in your poo, a change in your pooing habits (you might be going more or less often, or have diarrhoea or constipation that might come and go), losing weight but you’re not sure why or feeling very tired all the time but you’re not sure why, or a pain or lump in your tummy. Having these symptoms doesn’t always mean you have bowel cancer, but it’s still important to find out what’s causing them. Even if you have just one of these, ask your GP for a simple test you can do at home.
- Find out more about our Look Back & Track campaign with Andrex®
- Read more about our three-year partnership with Andrex®
- Learn more about our award-winning #GetOnARoll campaign
- Join us as a corporate supporter
