MILLIONS across the world fell in love with Dame Deborah James as the irrepressible, pioneering Bowel Babe.
Now a BBC documentary delves into her scrapbook for a view of the real Debs and tells her inspiring story in her own words.
BBCDame Deborah James’ life is the subject of a new BBC documentary[/caption]
InstagramThe documentary tells the story of Deborah’s life from diagnosis to the weeks before she died[/caption]
SOPHIE MAYANNEDeborah said: ‘I got slated for sexualising cancer but don’t play ‘my cancer’s worse than yours’’[/caption]
For her parents Heather and Alistair, the film — on tonight at 9pm on BBC2 — was a “very emotional and, at times, hard watch”.
The couple told The Sun: “It brings it home that she’s not here any more, but it also shows what a crazy, wonderful girl she was.”
The documentary tells the story of Deborah’s life with stage 4 bowel cancer, from diagnosis to the weeks before she died in June last year.
For Heather and Alistair it’s a familiar story, but to see it all in one feature-length film brought back the incredible impact their daughter’s life had on them and her fans.
“It’s a really honest account of what it’s like to live with and face dying from stage 4 cancer,” Alistair said.
“Many people only came to know Deborah in her last seven weeks, when there was an incredible outpouring of love for her.
“The film is an opportunity for people to see the impact she made in the whole five years she lived with cancer.
“What’s lovely is the unseen footage of her as a child. She was always so energetic and full of life.
“Deborah was always the same — cancer made her more determined but it didn’t change her.”
Deborah’s dad said ‘cancer made her more determined but it didn’t change her’Refer to Caption
Debs said: ‘I asked Mum for sequins to dance to Celine Dion in case it was my last chemo dance’INSTAGRAM/DAME DEBORAH JAMES
Deborah’s videos doing ‘chemo dancing’ with her son Hugo went viral online
Heather agrees, adding: “She always lived life to the full and put in 110 per cent to everything she did, even cancer.
“Those last seven weeks of her life weren’t easy, but we had some really special, lovely times together as a family.
“She was surrounded by her husband and children, her siblings and their families too.
“One night I came into the living room and Deborah, her brother Ben and sister Sarah were all asleep on different sofas, having a sleepover just like they did when they were little.
“Deborah had the biggest grin on her face that evening. She loved the fact they were all reliving their childhoods.
“Those moments were so precious, and are memories we all treasure.”
The programme comes just two weeks after the family revealed that Dame Debs’s Bowelbabe Fund has so far raised an amazing £11.3million.
Her parents hope the film will alert others to the disease and said: “The more awareness that’s raised, the more people will be diagnosed earlier, when this disease can be treated.”
Here we get a glimpse of Deborah’s photo album and recall the fun-loving woman who, in the words of her own catchphrase, never lost her rebellious hope.
Donate here to keep raising money for Deborah’s Bowelbabe fund.
theharknessrosecompany/InstagramDeborah’s proud parents Alistair and Heather[/caption]
INSTAGRAM/DAME DEBORAH JAMESDeborah said: ‘I run to prove I’m not dying yet. I’m very, very slow – but I ran to hospital to get an op’[/caption]
INSTAGRAM/DAME DEBORAH JAMESDebs said: ‘I used to take a drug to stop anxiety at chemo – then we tried Prosecco. Cheers!’[/caption]
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