Chart topping singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor has revealed she performed at an intimate concert for the late Dame Deborah James to help the star celebrate as she made it to her 40th birthday.
The milestone birthday was one that Deborah didn't expect to make after receiving her terminal cancer diagnosis, and she celebrated hitting her 40th with a party at home in London surrounded by her nearest and dearest loved ones – including Sophie, 44.
Sophie, who's hit Murder On The Dancefloor was a special favourite of Deborah's, has recalled performing at the 40th birthday which she described as "amazing" but also "emotional" and "significant".
Speaking to The Sun, Sophie said: "Calling it a performance is a grand term. It was all her lovely old uni mates and her family. The house looked amazing.
"When I pitched up, they didn’t have any equipment at all, so I sang into one of those kid mics with a footstool, and her husband put the song on his iPod or whatever and we just went for it.
"There was so much love in the room and obviously it was very significant that she was at her 40th because when she got her diagnosis, that was the age that she did not think she’d ever see."
Sophie also described Deborah as being someone that was "special" and and "amazing woman" as she shared that she thinks of her and her family often.
Deborah died on the 28th June 2022 after fighting cancer since receiving a diagnosis of stage four bowel cancer in 2016. Known for her honest and frank depictions of living with cancer, Deborah shared her journey via her social media channels under the name Bowelbabe.
She raised millions for Cancer Research UK and has been a driving force behind the NHS raising awareness of the symptoms of bowel cancer.
Earlier this year Deborah's mum Heather opened up about her "invincible" daughter in an interview with The Independent : "To me, Deborah was invincible... Until the minute she took her last breath, I still thought she would survive.
"We never thought she would die. If we’d have known she was going to die at the end of five years, we wouldn’t have had such an enjoyable time."
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