A BBC investigation has found women in the UK, mainly from BAME backgrounds, who travelled to Turkey for cosmetic surgery, were left with life-changing conditions by a company which received positive reviews from a social media influencer in return for free cosmetic procedures.
YouTuber Renee Donaldson, who has 159,000 subscribers, has apologised to her followers after she promoted Clinichub – which arranges surgery in Istanbul – but failed to say she was being paid to do so. She cut the relationship after her own surgery was “botched” and left her with lumps on her thighs.
Another woman told the BBC part of her breast tissue has died after her reduction surgery went wrong. The BBC has contacted the surgeons and Clinichub’s director, Ibrahim Kuzu, however it received no response.
