Prince William says Dame Deborah James 'inspired others with the sheer force of ... trends now
Prince William has paid a heartfelt tribute to Dame Deborah James as he hailed the late campaigner for inspiring others 'with the sheer force of her spirit' and 'changing the lives of so many' after her BowelBabe fund raised more than £10million.
The Prince of Wales, who famously made the podcast host a dame when he visited her home before her death, said we all need to 'learn from and be inspired by' the campaigner in a pre-recorded clip shown during the Stand Up To Cancer live show.
Former headteacher Dame Deborah died at the age of 40 in June 2022, five years after being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer when she found blood in her stool.
TV stars Davina McCall, Adam Hills, Joe Lycett and Munya Chawawa hosted a 90-minute takeover at The Francis Crick Institute to celebrate 10 years of the Stand Up To Cancer appeal for Cancer Research UK.
During the broadcast on Channel 4, Prince William appeared in a clip to praise Dame Deborah, nearly a year and a half after her tragic death.
Prince William visited Dame Deborah James at her family home to honour her with a damehood before her death
Prince William (pictured) has paid a heartfelt tribute to Dame Deborah James as he hailed the late campaigner for inspiring others 'with the sheer force of her spirit'
Dame Deborah died at the age of 40 in June 2022, five years after being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer when she found blood in her stool
He said: 'Dame Deborah James was one of those special people who can unite and inspire others with the sheer force of her spirit.
'She encouraged us all to live life to the fullest, to tackle the toughest challenges with strength and bravery and to rally together to stand up to cancer.'
Dame Deborah set up the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK which has raised more than £10million and for her efforts she was made a dame.
Her damehood was conferred by William, who joined her family for afternoon tea and champagne at home before her death last year.
Damehoods are usually handed out by members of the royal family at investiture ceremonies which take place at royal palaces, including Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.
'It was an honour to meet Deborah and her family and present her with her damehood,' William continued.
'I'll never forget her kindness, warmth, honesty and humour in adversity. Let's all learn from and be inspired by her passion for life.'
William said You, Me And The Big C podcast host Dame Deborah 'truly made a difference to the lives of so many' by breaking down taboos around having symptoms checked.
Dame Deborah set up the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK which has raised more than £10million and for her efforts she was made a dame (pictured receiving damehood at her parent's home)
Prince William with Dame Deborah and her family when he honoured the inspirational mother-of-two with a damehood
He added: 'In the months leading up to, and after her death, the NHS saw a substantial increase in the number of people being referred for bowl cancer checks in England.
'Millions of pounds are raised in Deborah's name for the BowelBabe fund for Cancer Research UK and associated charities which would have given more people affected by cancer more time
