Kate Elizabeth "Katie" Piper (born 12 October 1983) is a philanthropist, television presenter and former model from Andover, Hampshire in England, UK. Piper had hoped to have a full-time career in the media, but in March 2008 sulphuric acid was thrown in her face. The attack, which blinded Piper in one eye, was arranged by Piper's ex-boyfriend, Daniel Lynch, and carried out by an accomplice, Stefan Sylvestre. Lynch and Sylvestre were arrested and are serving life sentences in prison for their crimes.[1]
The attack took place in north London and Piper was treated in Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, where the surgeons removed all the skin from her face before rebuilding it with a skin substitute and then a skin graft. The procedure was the first of its kind to be completed in a single operation.[2][3]
In 2009, Piper chose to give up her anonymity in order to increase awareness about burn victims. The Channel 4 documentary Katie: My Beautiful Face was first aired on 29 October 2009 as part of the Cutting Edge series; it has subsequently been repeated on several occasions, made available for online on-demand access, and sold internationally.
More recently, Piper has appeared in a follow-up series for Channel 4, released a best-selling autobiography, and had a regular column in weekly magazine Reveal; however, she primarily works for her charitable organisation the Katie Piper Foundation.