Prince William And Kate Middleton Pay Tribute To 'Unfalteringly Brave' Deborah James

Daniel Welsh
·2 min read
Kate Middleton, Prince William and Deborah James (Photo: Scott Garfitt/Shutterstock/ITV/)
Kate Middleton, Prince William and Deborah James (Photo: Scott Garfitt/Shutterstock/ITV/)

Kate Middleton, Prince William and Deborah James (Photo: Scott Garfitt/Shutterstock/ITV/)

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have paid tribute to broadcaster Dame Deborah James, following her death at the age of 40.

On Tuesday, it was announced that the cancer campaigner and host of the podcast You, Me And The Big C, had died “peacefully… surrounded by her family”.

A statement posted by her family on Instagram said: “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.

“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.”

They added: “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’.”

Dame Deborah at Royal Ascot earlier this month (Photo: David M. Benett via Getty Images)
Dame Deborah at Royal Ascot earlier this month (Photo: David M. Benett via Getty Images)

Dame Deborah at Royal Ascot earlier this month (Photo: David M. Benett via Getty Images)

As tributes flooded in from celebrities and public figures, Prince William and Kate Middleton also paid their respects on Twitter.

“We are so sad to hear the heartbreaking news about Dame Deborah. Our thoughts are with her children, her family and her loved ones,” they said.

“Deborah was an inspirational and unfalteringly brave woman whose legacy will live on.”

Dame Deborah, who was known as Bowel Babe online, was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2016, and in May revealed she was receiving end of life care at her parents’ home in Woking, with her husband Sebastien and their two children on hand.

Speaking about her efforts to raise awareness of bowel cancer, William and Kate previously wrote: “Every now and then, someone captures the heart of the nation with their zest for life & tenacious desire to give back to society. @bowelbabe is one of those special people. Her tireless efforts to raise awareness of bowel cancer and end the stigma of treatment are inspiring.”

Others to have paid tribute include presenters Adele Roberts, George Alagiah, Carol Vorderman and Alison Hammond, as well as prime minister Boris Johnson, who hailed Dame Deborah as an “inspiration”.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost UK and has been updated.

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