The BBC has confirmed that it will air a brand new documentary about cancer campaigner Dame Deborah James featuring intimate footage dating right up until the final weeks of her life.
The 80-minute film, which will air on BBC2 titled Bowelbabe: In Her Own Words, will draw on previously unseen mobile phone footage, her collection of TikTok videos and voice notes, Instagram posts, podcast audio and family videos.
The instalment is part of the broadcaster’s Storyville documentary series, which will also be available to people on iPlayer, has been said to have been “filmed with Deborah in the last months of her life” and features her talking “frankly” about her diagnosis.
Dame Deborah, known by her social media handle Bowelbabe and a presenter of the You, Me And The Big C podcast, tragically died last June at the age of 40 after being diagnosed with bowel cancer five years previously.
At the time of her death, Mum Heather, who is known on social media as Bowelgran, shared a series of photos of Dame Deborah and wrote: “My heart is broken. Love you forever.”
Lucie Kon, commissioning editor of Storyville, said: “Deborah worked with us on this film right up until the last few weeks of her life and was adamant that it was finished even though she wouldn’t be around to see it through.
“It’s an incredibly powerful and beautiful piece – emotional, intimate and unique.
“With enormous warmth and good humour, the documentary echoes the powerful, honest and direct way that Deborah communicated, as if she were talking to a friend or confidante.”
Dame Deborah was diagnosed in 2016 and kept her one million Instagram followers up to date with her treatments.
Her candid posts about her progress and diagnosis, including videos of her dancing her way through treatment, won praise from the public and media who were blown away in admiration for how strong the mother-of-two was throughout her journey.
She had worked to establish the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK, which raised more than £7 million helping people across the country who are also affected by the deadly disease.
The 40-year-old had been receiving end-of-life care for bowel cancer at home after revealing in May last year that she was no longer receiving treatment and did not know how long she had left.
Shortly before her death, she was made a dame by the now Prince of Wales, with the then-prime minister Boris Johnson saying: “If ever an honour was richly deserved, this is it.”
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