Lorraine Kelly was left in tears at the start of her Wednesday show as the ITV programme paid tribute to Dame Deborah James, who spearheaded the Lorraine bowel cancer campaign.
The Scottish presenter paid tribute to late Dame Deborah, who lost her battle with cancer at the age of 40.
The mum-of-two, who launched a fundraising page called Bowel Babe to raise money for Cancer Research UK, was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer just before Christmas 2016, when she was aged 35.
Dame Deborah died surrounded by her family on Tuesday, weeks after she confirmed she had stopped active treatment and was receiving palliative care at her parents’ home in Woking.
After Lorraine played a pre-recorded obituary to Dame Deborah, the show returned to the studio where an emotional Lorraine simply said “love her”.
Yet as she introduced guests Steve Bland, a friend of Deborah’s, and a Lorraine producer, who worked alongside Deborah on the No Butts campaign, Lorraine became choked up.
Turning to the camera, she cried as she said: “Sorry. Just seeing that. We knew this was going to happen, but it still doesn’t feel quite real.”
Lorraine paid tribute to Deborah with a moving compilation of clips from her social media of her cancer battle and her appearances on the programme to raise awareness of the disease.
In a voiceover tribute, Lorraine said: “Deborah was determined to stay positive and help others living with the disease.
“She shared her experience with bravery and honesty from her hospital bed and her home, documenting the highs and lows online as Bowel Babe, while also writing about her cancer with humour and candour.
“She did the hugely popular podcast You, Me and the Big C about living with cancer alongside her close friends also touched by the disease.
“She got bums on seats to talk about cancer and break the poo taboo with our No Butts campaign.”
She continued: “In one incredible week Deborah raised millions of pounds for cancer charities, which led to her being honoured with a damehood and an unprecedented royal visit to her home from the Duke of Cambridge.
“Her spirit, drive and enthusiasm made her a powerhouse with a huge following. She showed us all that we fall, we break, but we can rebuild again and dance to a different beat – and how she loved to dance.”
She added: “She proved that if we get one more day living we have to grab it with both hands. Always find the fun, dress up and enjoy the good stuff.
“Deborah even gave cancer a run for its money, competing in 10Ks and a marathon – sometimes in her pants – all while going through treatment and reaching her milestone 40th birthday.
“She remained optimistic, always looking for hope and options and faced up to the biggest of challenges with a huge smile on her face.
“On the very bad days, there was always a pop of lipstick to lift the mood. Deborah was never without her makeup.”
She concluded: “But most importantly Deborah has left an incredible legacy and she’s saved people’s lives. We remember her as a dear friend of the show and the heart and soul of our bowel cancer campaign. She will be so sadly missed and our thoughts are with her family at this time.”
