Cancer campaigner, blogger, broadcaster and former teacher Dame Deborah James died at 40. She received life-long care for bowel cancer at home and raised millions for cancer research.
The host of the BBC’s You, Me and Big C podcast was given a damehood in May in recognition of his fundraising.
Dame Deborah, a mother of two, was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2016. Her family described her as “amazing” and “inspiration”.
They announced her death in a post on her Instagram page. “We are deeply saddened to announce the death of Dame Deborah James; the most amazing wife, daughter, sister, mummy,” it said.
She passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family. Her family said Dame Deborah shared her cancer experience 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.”
Dame Deborah has been praised for her no-nonsense approach to talking about cancer, sharing her treatment experiences and daily life since her diagnosis in 2016.
A deputy headmaster, she started a cancer blog before writing for the Sun and becoming a BBC broadcaster. But on 9 May, she announced that she was no longer receiving active care and did not know how long she had been walking.
She also launched a new fund called the BowelBabe Fund to raise money for research into personalized medicine for cancer patients.