His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales praised Dame Deborah James’s lasting legacy during an evening of fundraising for the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK.
Via a video message to guests at the Fund’s inaugural Rebel Ball, The Prince of Wales spoke of meeting the ‘incomparable’ cancer campaigner Dame Deborah James for the first time, and of her desire to leave a legacy through the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research
UK. Speaking of the Fund, he said it ‘has achieved so much over the last four and a half years as it continues to invest in pioneering research that’s giving more people more time with the ones they love’.
Dame Deborah James was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2016 at the age of 35. In May 2022, during the last few weeks of her life, she set up the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK to help fund the vital research and health awareness projects that she was
so passionate about. It was during this time that The Prince of Wales visited Deborah at her family home to present her with her damehood.
The Prince of Wales also remarked on Deborah’s ‘positivity and humour in the face of adversity’ – what she referred to as ‘rebellious hope’. The Rebel Ball, hosted by TV and radio presenter Gaby Roslin, paid homage to this through guests’ outfits, the decor
and a poignant pledge moment from Deborah’s children Hugo (19) and Eloise (16) in which they shared what rebellious hope means to them.
Taking place at the Hurlingham Club on Thursday 1 October – which would have been Deborah’s 45th birthday – guests enjoyed a glamourous night of entertainment and fine dining, with performances from Sophie Ellis Bextor, Heart Radio DJ Zoe Hardman and the West
End cast of the production ‘Disco Inferno’ and were invited to bid for exclusive prizes in the live and silent auctions.
Others in attendance included friends of Deborah: author and breast cancer survivor Emma Campbell, Deborah’s former co-host of the BBC’s You, Me and the Big C podcast Steve Bland, Jo Tutchener-Sharp OBE, founder of Scamp & Dude and bowel cancer survivor and
GP Dr Anisha Patel.
Also in attendance was TV bartender Merlin Griffiths, who was diagnosed with stage 3 bowel cancer in 2021 and appeared on ‘Toilet Talk’, the Fund’s social media-led series to help encourage more honest, open conversations about poo and bowel cancer and make
it easier to tell a doctor if something isn’t quite right.
Husband of Dame Deborah James, Sebastien Bowen, said:
“Deborah channelled her rebellious hope into a force for good, doing everything she could to change lives for the better. She was driven by an unwavering determination to raise vital funds for cancer research because she understood first-hand the difference
it can make in helping give more people more time with the ones they love.
“On what would’ve been Deborah’s 45th birthday, we wanted to honour her memory, and the Rebel Ball captured so much of what made her special: her energy, her courage and her ability to bring people together behind a cause she believed in.
“The money raised will support the work she was so passionate about, helping to drive progress for people affected by cancer. On behalf of everyone who knew and loved Deborah, I’d like to say a huge thank you for the generosity and support. We’re also
incredibly grateful to His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales for his kind words about Deborah and continued support of the Fund and its work.”
Chief executive of Cancer Research UK, Michelle Mitchell, said:
“Deborah never believed in standing still when there was more to do, and the funds raised through the Rebel Ball will help ensure her extraordinary legacy continues to drive progress and bring hope to people affected by cancer.
“This work is more important than ever. Bowel cancer remains the second biggest cause of cancer death in the UK, with more than 48,000 people diagnosed each year. Every pound raised will help power the discoveries and innovations that could save and improve
lives for generations to come.”
The Fund has supported 16 research and cancer awareness projects including the development of the Bowelbabe Vaccine, a pioneering cancer vaccine to boost immune power against bowel cancer and global research team PROSPECT who are working to better understand
the rise of bowel cancer in people under 50.
Within its first 24 hours, the Fund raised over £1m. Four years on, the total raised stands at over £21m.
People can find out more and continue to support the work of the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK via
Bowelbabe.org.
