Grieving pal Lauren Mahon says ‘there’s only one Debs’ in heartbreaking tribute to co-star Deborah James
DEBORAH James' grieving pal Lauren Mahon last night shared her heartbreak following the death of her podcast co-star.
Close pal Lauren, who presented You, Me and the Big C with Dame Deborah, declared "there's only one Deborah James" as she asked for "time" following the campaigner's death on Tuesday.
Mum-of-two Deborah, known as BowelBabe to her legions of Instagram fans, was diagnosed with incurable bowel cancer just days before Christmas in 2016, at the age of 35.
In 2018, she became one of three presenters on Radio 5's You, Me and the Big C, joining Lauren Mahon and Steve Bland's late wife Rachael Bland.
Sharing her grief on Instagram last night, Lauren wrote: "Love and thoughts are of course with the hearts of @bowelbabe's family and friends. Espesh the kids.
"There's only one Deborah James. Please give me time."
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Deborah and Lauren both lost their close friend and co-host Rachael Bland to breast cancer in 2018.
Rachael's widower Steve, who later took over the presenter's mic, this morning told how Deborah had helped them through some of their "toughest times".
He shared a moving tribute to Deborah, telling how she was the "life and soul of every party" who "changed the world".
Lauren recently told how recording the episodes made them all incredibly close, adding she was struggling to come to terms that Deborah's time is nearly up.
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She told the last month: "We’ve been through something so powerful together.
"What we have created with the podcast has changed the way cancer is talked about and experienced in the UK."
But she added: "The thing I’m really struggling with is that Rachael, Deb and I started this together as a threesome and the prospect of not having either of them around is difficult.
"I can’t get my head around it."
Deborah's family confirmed the news of her death on Instagram yesterday.
They told how the "most amazing wife, daughter, sister and mummy" died peacefully, surrounded by her family.
And they went on to thank the thousands of Brits who had supported their loved one throughout her journey.
Despite being told she had an eight per cent chance of living five years, Deborah defied the odds stacked against her.
After celebrating her 40th birthday last October - a birthday she never dreamed she would live to see - the brave campaigner marked the five-year milestone a few months later.
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She shared every step of her journey with Sun readers in her column Things Cancer Made Me Say and her army of loyal social media followers.
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And after learning last month she would receive end-of-life hospice care, she began fundraising in earnest - with the total now topping an astonishing £6.7million.
Donate to keep raising money for Deborah's BowelBabe fund.
