Cancer campaigner Dame Deborah James has died at the age of 40.
She had been receiving end-of-life care for bowel cancer at home and had raised millions to help others affected by cancer.
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The host of the BBC’s You, Me and the Big C podcast was given a damehood in May in recognition of her fundraising.
Dame Deborah, a mother of two, was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2016. Her family described her as “amazing” and an “inspiration”.
They announced her death in a post on her Instagram page saying: “We are deeply saddened to announce the death of Dame Deborah James; the most amazing wife, daughter, sister, mummy.”
It said her family was “incredibly proud of her and her work”.
They said Dame Deborah had shared her experience of cancer 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.”
Dame Deborah had been praised for her no-nonsense approach to talking about cancer online, and had shared her experiences of treatment and daily life with her social media followers since her diagnosis in 2016.
But on 9 May she announced that she was no longer receiving active care and did not know how long she had left.
“My body just can’t continue anymore,” she said in a post on her @bowelbabe Instagram account.
It surpassed £1m in less than 24 hours – smashing her initial goal of £250,000 – and has now raised more than £6.8m.
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In May, she was given a damehood by Prince William at her parents’ home in Woking, Surrey, where she had chosen to stay.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – who donated to the research fund – described her “tireless efforts” in raising awareness of cancer as inspirational and thanked her for “giving hope” to those living with the disease.
