Deborah James said she wants to die at her parents’ home for the sake of her teenage children.
The 40-year-old, who was diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer in 2016, shares two children - Hugo, 14, and Eloise, 12 - with husband Sebastien.
They live in a plush family home in central London, with Deborah sharing glimpses of her chic abode in posts on Instagram.
Deborah left her fans and followers devastated as she shared the final update from her battle with cancer, confirming that she was having hospice care at home as she spends her final days surrounded by her family.
The Sun columnist said doctors had told her there was no further treatment available, and Deborah said her body “just can’t continue”.
Despite her unwavering bravery, the mum-of-two said she was struggling to come to terms with the prospect of death, and had decided to spend her final days with her loved ones at her parents’ home in Woking.
She revealed her plans in her final episode of her BBC podcast, You, Me and the Big C, and said her mum and dad’s bungalow was more practical for her as she confessed she couldn’t walk, and needed her husband to carry her.
“As much as I love London I can't even get up the steps to pee, it's not practical and my parents live in a bungalow. And I can see greenery and my whole family can come here,” Deborah explained.
“It's kind of where I've always wanted to die, weirdly. I've always had that in mind. I think I always knew I didn't want to be at my London home. It doesn't feel right to me,” she said.
Deborah said she didn’t want to give her kids negative memories of their family home in London, and admitted she wouldn't be able to relax.
“There's nothing I can describe that feels relaxing in that capacity. Don't get me wrong, it's a lovely place but I also think it's not right for me but it means the kids can go back there and they don't have those medical equipment scars faced everywhere,” she sadly shared.
“It can continue to be their home without those memories, which might be a good thing.”
Deborah announced the launch of her BowelBabe fund, which is raising money for cancer research, and in just over 24 hours, it’s raised more than £2 million.
