Dame Deborah James dies at 40 after BBC podcast star’s 5-year bowel cancer battle
Deborah James, 40, has sadly passed away after a five year battle with stage 4 bowel cancer. The BBC star was first diagnosed in 2016 and has documented her fight while inspiring thousands of fans
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Deborah James discusses ‘scary’ bowel cancer symptoms in June
BBC star Dame Deborah James has tragically died at the age of 40.
The brave star passed away on Tuesday while surrounded by her beloved family.
Deborah’s death was announced on her BowelBabe Instagram on Tuesday evening.
The post read: “Dame Deborah James.
“We are deeply saddened to announce the death of Dame Deborah James; the most amazing wife, daughter, sister, mummy. Deborah passed away peacefully today, surrounded by her family.
“Deborah, who many of you will know as Bowelbabe, was an inspiration and we are incredibly proud of her and her work and commitment to charitable campaigning, fundraising and her endless efforts to raise awareness of cancer that touched so many lives.
BBC star Dame Deborah James has tragically died at the age of 40
Deborah’s death was announced on her BowelBabe Instagram on Tuesday evening
Image:
( bowelbabe/instagram)
“Deborah shared her experience with the world to raise awareness, break down barriers, challenge taboos and change the conversation around cancer. Even in her most challenging moments, her determination to raise money and awareness was inspiring.”We thank you for giving us time in private as a family, and we look forward to continuing Deborah’s legacy long into the future through the @bowelbabefund. “Thank you for playing your part in her journey, you are all incredible.
“And a few final things from Deborah…“find a life worth enjoying; take risks; love deeply; have no regrets; and always, always have rebellious hope. And finally, check your poo – it could just save your life. x”
And a few final things from Deborah…“find a life worth enjoying; take risks; love deeply; have no regrets; and always, always have rebellious hope. And finally, check your poo – it could just save your life.” x
The mum leaves behind husband Sebastien and children Eloise, 12, and Hugo, 14.
BBC star Deborah James has tragically died at the age of 40
Image:
( Instagram/ @bowelbabe)
Tributes have been flooding in following the news.
Good Morning Britain star Charlotte Hawkins penned: “Oh no…heartbreaking news that @bowelbabe has left us. What an inspiration, a truly special person who saved lives & did so much to help others. Who showed that even a terminal diagnosis wasn’t going to stop her living life to the full. So much love to her family & friends.”
Carol Vorderman wrote: “Rest in peace @Bowelbabe. Your incredible spirit will live on.”
Piers Morgan wrote: “RIP Dame Deborah James, aka Bowel Babe. A truly remarkable and inspiring woman. Such sad news”
One friend wrote: “Utterly heartbroken. I don’t even know what to write. Thank you for teaching me all about Rebellious Hope Deborah.
“I am so thankful to have known you even for a short period of time. You really showed the world just how special you are and you will leave a legacy for us all, even though I knew this day was coming, something inside me just didn’t believe it. Rest in paradise Debs, you will be so so missed by us all xxxx,”
Another added: “Oh my gosh. So terribly sad. What a wonderful human who made such a mark on the world. Much love to the family,” whilst a third wrote: “What an incredible woman . A bundle of joy, An angel on earth. My heart is heavy for you all but you must be so incredible proud of her. sending you so much love Xxx.”
Deborah had been fighting stage 4 bowel cancer since December 2016 and had documented her fight on social media – having inspired millions of fans.
Deborah had been fighting stage 4 bowel cancer since December 2016
Image:
( GETTY)
While the much-loved star had continued to maintain a positive outlook amid her cancer battle, the TV star took to social media in May to reveal that she no longer knew how long she had left as she opened up about her stage 4 cancer.
Deborah, who is behind the popular BBC podcast ‘You, Me and the Big C’, said that although she had been fighting her illness for five years, it was still not easy to accept and say goodbye.
In her final weeks, the mum-of-two revealed she was receiving end-of-life care at her home in Surrey.
She also had a private tour at the Chelsea Flower Show to see her rose, which The Harkness Rose Company named after her in tribute to the brave star in a ‘lovely honour’ which moved the dame to tears.
Deborah James raised millions for charity
Image:
( Instagram)
It came after she was honoured with a damehood by Prince William – just a few days after she revealed her cancer fight had taken a turn for the worse.
Dame Deborah told the BBC: “Flowers are a reminder of our future. We plant the seed not knowing what we might see grow.
“Being around nature gives us a lift and it is a reminder that life continues to blossom, even in some of the hardest places, and brings a smile to all of our faces, even in the hardest of times – particularly mine.”
She added that she hopes one day the rose might feature in her daughter Eloise’s wedding bouquet.
“It meant absolutely everything to me,” she concluded.
On May 17, Deborah announced she had written a book called How To Live When You Could Be Dead, saying she wanted to share “how to have a positive mindset when we are faced with life’s biggest challenges”.
In an emotional tweet, telling her followers the news about her prognosis, Deborah wrote: “The tweet I never wanted to write. The time has come to say goodbye.
“It has been 5 years to prepare, doesn’t make it any easy.
“I’m under hospice at home care and I’m spending my time surrounded by my family. Please buy me a wine to see me out and raise vital funds.”
Deborah James with Prince William, after she was made a Dame
Image:
( Instagram)
And in a heartbreaking Instagram post, she said: “My active care has stopped and I am now moved to hospice at home care, with my incredible family all around me and the focus is on making sure I’m not in pain and spending time with them.
“Nobody knows how long I’ve got left but I’m not unable to walk, I’m sleeping most of the days, and most things I took for granted are pipe dreams. I know we have left no stone unturned.
“But even with all the innovative cancer drugs in the world or some magic new breakthrough, my body just can’t continue anymore.”
Deborah went on: “In over 5 years of writing about how I thought it would be my final Christmas, how I wouldn’t see my 40th birthday nor see my kids go to secondary school – I never envisaged writing the one where I would actually say goodbye.
“I think it’s been the rebellious hope in me. But I don’t think anyone can say the last 6 months has exactly been kind.
For her final wish, Deborah asked her supportive followers to donate as much as they could to fight bowel cancer
Image:
( Instagram/ @bowelbabe)
“It’s all heartbreaking to be going through but I’m surrounded by so much love that if anything can help me through I hope that will.
“Bowelbabe Fund. I always knew there was one thing I always wanted to do before I died.”
For her final wish, Deborah asked her supportive followers to donate as much as they could to fight bowel cancer.
“I have always over the years raised as much awareness and money for the charities that are closest to me. @cr_uk @royalmarsden @bowelcanceruk,” she penned.
“As a result, the @bowelbabefund is being established and I’d love nothing more than for you to help it flourish. Please visit bowelbabe.org for all the info and to donate.
“All I ask if you ever read a column, followed my Instagram, listened to the podcast or saw me dressed as a poo for no reason.
“Please buy me a drink to see me out this world, by donating the cost to @bowelbabefund which will enable us to raise funds for further life saving research into cancer. To give more Deborah’s more time.
Deborah finished off her heartbreaking post by encouraging her fans to ‘enjoy life’ while they could
Image:
( Instagram/ @bowelbabe)
“Right now for me it’s all about taking it a day at a time, step by step and being grateful for another sunrise. My whole family are around me and we will dance through this together, sunbathing and laughing (I’ll cry!!) at every possible moment.”
Deborah finished off her heartbreaking post by encouraging her fans to ‘enjoy life’ while they could.
“You are all incredible, thank you for playing your part in my journey. No regrets. Enjoy life x”
Since she revealed her prognosis with her tens of thousands of followers, donations have topped more than £6.73 million on her Bowel Babe fund.
Deborah was also “overwhelmed” after finding that sales from her fashion line with In The Style had raised £1 million in funds for her Bowel Babe Fund and Cancer Research.
And Deborah admitted she was “humbled and blown away” to be honoured with a damehood.
Usually, damehoods and knighthoods are announced as part of the New Year Honours or the Queen’s Birthday Honours though, in exceptional circumstances, they can be announced at other points in the year. This was the case with Captain Sir Tom Moore’s knighthood, and now Deborah’s damehood.
Deborah James pictured with her children
Image:
( Instagram/ @bowelbabe)
In a statement, Downing Street said the Queen was “pleased to approve the honour of damehood” be conferred upon Deborah.
Taking to Instagram to express her thoughts on the honour, the podcast host penned: “I don’t even know where to start with the overwhelming tears getting in the way. I’m humbled and blown away that 5 years of talking about poo can lead to a Damehood! I feel honoured and shocked that I even got considered.”
She continued to praise the “unwavering” support of her following over the past four days, after launching the Bowel Babe Fund to benefit a number of cancer charities. Dame Deborah said that each day, she can’t “fathom” people’s “kindness and generosity”.
She continued to add her “heartfelt” thanks to the “wonderful people in the world”, while expressing gratitude for the “unconditional” support she’s received since her diagnosis in 2016.
Deborah also won praise from Prince William and Kate Middleton for her tireless work in raising awareness and funds for bowel cancer.
The royal couple took to Twitter to praise the 40-year-old BBC star as they described her as ‘special’.
Deborah gave a powerful interview before her death
Image:
( BBC)
Their emotional tweet read: “Every now and then, someone captures the heart of the nation with their zest for life & tenacious desire to give back to society.
” Deborah is one of those special people. Her tireless efforts to raise awareness of bowel cancer and end the stigma of treatment are inspiring.
“We are so sad to hear her recent update but pleased to support the @bowelbabef, which will benefit the @royalmarsdenNHS among others.
“Deborah, our thoughts are with you, your family and your friends. Thank you for giving hope to so many who are living with cancer. W & C.”
Deborah has been treated at the Royal Marsden which the Duke is Patron of and it’s one of the beneficiaries of her fund.
Deborah raised a huge amount of money
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( Instagram/ @bowelbabe)
Deborah with her husband
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( Dave Benett/Getty Images for JW Marriott Grosvenor House London)
A senior palace source said: “Along with the rest of the nation, the Duke and Duchess have been touched by Deborah’s story and huge efforts to raise awareness.”
As well as being honoured with a damehood, Debrorah also had a rose named after her in her final weeks.
The presenter sad that she hoped her daughter would one day carry the special flower in her wedding bouquet.
When Deborah was first diagnosed, she was told that she might not live beyond five years.
She began co-presenting the podcast, You, Me And The Big C, with Lauren Mahon and Rachael Bland in 2018 and they earned praise for their frank discussions about cancer.
Rachel sadly died in September that year at the age of 40, two years after being diagnosed with breast cancer.
Deborah James says her husband Sebastian was her ‘utter rock’
Image:
( Deborah James/Instagram)
Appearing on BBC Breakfast, Rachel’s widower, Steve, who joined the podcast as a host following her death, said Deborah “deals in the extraordinary”.
Deborah described her husband Sebastian, with who she shares children Hugo, 14, and Eloise, as her “utter rock” after she entered hospice care.
On Instagram, she shared a picture of the pair smiling at an RHS Garden, following the launch of her book.
The brave star said she hadn’t left the house in 10 days because she had been too weak, but her husband encouraged her to find joy in going on an adventure.
Deborah James with her second book, How To Live When You Could Be Dead
Image:
( bowelbabe/Instagram)
She said: “Seb is an utter rock for me and together we seem to be able to squeeze our hands, swallow the tears and laugh instead.”
Earlier that week Deborah said she was going to embrace the rain, and posted a video on social media of her enjoying the weather in the back garden of her parents’ home.
Captioning the short video, Deborah wrote: “A late friend once told me to embrace the rain because you never knew when you the last time you might feel that rain on your face is… so am embracing it. Albeit with blankets!”
In early June, she watched La Boheme at Glyndebourne in Sussex with her husband and revealed she last visited five years prior.
She said: “I was actually here five years ago to the week last time. At that point I was seven months into my diagnosis, and once again just trying to make the most of not knowing what lay ahead.”
In her final weeks, Deborah lived life to the fullest by attending an Opera as well as the Royal Ascot.
Deborah at Royal Ascot with her family
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( Dave Benett/Getty Images for Roy)
She also went to the Opera
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( bowelbabe/Instagram)
Deborah managed to attend the races in mid-June, with her brother and his fiancée, and looked glorious in a polka-dot dress.
The campaigner, who had vowed to ‘keep on living whilst dying’, shared snaps of the special event on Instagram and explained how her dad helped her.
She posted: “I may be knackered today from Ascot yesterday, but dad is there to hold me up.”
During her trip to the Royal Ascot, she met Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford, who later reflected on the ‘deep chat’ she and the dame had during the event.
Dame Deborah met with Eamonn and Ruth, who praised her ‘incredible spirit’
Image:
( Dave Benett/Getty Images for Roy)
Ruth opened up on the ‘deep chat’ she had with Deborah
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( Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Ruth, 62, praised Deborah’s ‘incredible spirit’ and told Lorraine viewers: “She had such a huge beaming smile when she spoke. She is honestly the most incredible woman.
“She still has so much positivity. She seems to have that spirit even though she knows she’s dying. It was an absolute honour to meet her.”
On Father’s Day, she paid tribute to her father with a heartbreaking post of him brushing her hair.
Deborah looked frail as she sat in a chair while her father Alistair lovingly brushed her hair, with her In The Style balloons visible in the background.
Her dad has been her rock
Image:
( Instagram)
She shared a snap of her father brushing her hair
Image:
( @Bowelbabe/Instagram)
She wrote: “Happy Father’s Day! Yes, my Dad is brushing my hair because I have no strength anymore to brush this.”
Speaking about her son, she also said she was heartbroken thinking about not being able to see her son as a father.
Tributes have poured in for the brave star since her sad passing.
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