Dame Deborah James' funeral took place today in London as her closest family and friends paid their respects to the beloved star.
At the service, Deborah's heartbroken son Hugo, 14, carried in his mother's wicket casket to St Mary's church in Barnes as the family finally lay her to rest. The cancer campaigner, known online as BowelBabe, tragically died aged 40 on June 28, after a brave five-year battle with bowel cancer.
Deborah's devastated husband Sebastien led the procession alongside their two children Hugo and Eloise, 12, as the Rolls Royce made its way to the chapel. Before her passing, Deborah, who raised £7.4million for charity in her final weeks, expressed hope that her children would be able to read poems to those in attendance, writes the Mirror.
At just after 1pm, Deborah’s son, Hugo, joined his father and two other family members to carry his mother’s coffin into St Mary's. His teenage, floppy haired head bent, he only wobbled a little, his feet finding their footing for a moment, before he led the way inside the church to say a final goodbye.
During the service, Hugo and his sister Eloise, 12, each read out a poem following their mother's wishes. Hugo read a poem he had written himself while his sister Eloise also delivered a piece. Deborah's husband Sebastien delivered a eulogy.
Meanwhile a friend of the family's Natalie Rushdie, sung a rendition of Tell Me It’s Not True by the Blood Brothers following Dame Deborah's wishes. The family then exited the church in silence and bowed their heads before leaving. Meanwhile, Dame Deborah’s coffin was driven away from the church.
Lorraine Kelly was among the early arrivals, having worked closely with the vibrant star to raise awareness for bowel cancer on her daytime show. Dressed in black, the ITV veteran clutched onto her phone as she made her way into the church.
Other stars turning up to the service were Tom and Giovanna Fletcher, Gaby Roslin, television personality Oliver Peyton and singer Natalie Rushdie. Mourners, meanwhile, could be seen carrying wreaths of beautiful white flowers into the ceremony with heartfelt messages and the lyrics from Blood Brothers Tell Me It's Not True - which the blogger had personally picked herself.
The family decided on a picture of Deborah dancing in the sunset whilst on holiday for the front of the order of service.
Ahead of the funeral, Deborah's brother Ben took to Instagram to pay tribute to his big sister. The siblings said a heartbreaking goodbye before her death, with Ben jetting off to the United States for his holiday at her insistence.
Sharing a selection of videos and photos, he wrote: "Big sis, Debs. Thank you for teaching me how to live life to the full since the day I was born - you made me find that life worth enjoying!
"Saying bye is never going to be easy, but knowing you achieved more than any of us could ever dream of…and so, so much more…makes it that little bit more bearable. Your legacy will go on forever and we’ll do our very best to make you proud.
"Take it easy up there. Here’s to you x".
Dame Deborah organised her funeral in her final days, ultimately wanting her loved ones to share memories of her with her two children.
Deborah wanted Tell Me It's Not True from Blood Brothers to be played - as well as plenty of tequila at the reception. She expressed her hopes her children would be able to read poems to the congregation if they were able to.
She previously told The Times : "It sounds morbid, but I want a sombre funeral in black and white because I think people look good in black and white. There’s a big church in Barnes and I’ll leave Seb to decide on the reception, as long as there is tequila.
"I’m thinking of asking people to bring a picture or a funny anecdote, so my family have something to remember. Otherwise, how can my children collect memories from people in my life they don’t know? At 12 and 14 I hope they will remember me, but [they are] still very young, so my image will fade and they will have to rely on videos or photos."
She planned to have ashes scattered at the cemetery across the road so she wouldn’t be "lonely". Close friends and family attended the private service in memory of the star, who touched so many lives.
The former deputy headteacher was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2016 and subsequently shared candid posts about her progress and diagnosis, including videos of her dancing her way through treatment.
She had 17 tumours removed, underwent numerous chemotherapy cycles and developed sepsis earlier this year - after doctors told her she may not survive the night. After long outliving her prognosis, Deborah heartbreakingly revealed in early May she had stopped active treatment and was receiving end of life care at her parents’ home in Woking.
But she lived her final weeks in indomitable style, determined to "live whilst dying" with "Rebellious Hope" - even though she felt "knackered". From opera at Glyndebourne, enjoying a trip after hours to the Chelsea Flower Show to see a rose named for her and attending Ascot, the Bowelbabe blogger lived her days to the fullest - all whilst raising awareness for bowel cancer.
Days after her final prognosis Prince William visited her at her parents’ home to invest her. "It’s quite surreal having a royal pop in at home," she said.
Dame Deborah continued her campaigning by announcing the profits of her In The Style new clothing line and royalties from her new book would go towards her Bowelbabe fund with Cancer Research UK. Following the announcement of her death, thousands of donations poured in, with many writing an accompanying message of how she had inspired them, until it broke the £7 million landmark.
Her legacy continues as more than 23,000 Brits have approached the NHS for bowel cancer information. Amanda Pritchard, Chief Executive of NHS England, said: "People often don’t feel comfortable speaking about their cancer diagnosis and treatment.
"But Deborah bravely speaking out about her personal journey has prompted thousands more people to check the symptoms. There is no doubt about it – this has been lifesaving. So, our message to you is – don’t be prudish about poo, get checked out if you have worrying signs."
Thank you Dame Deborah, rest in peace.
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