Emotional film charting Dame Deborah James’ final days up for National Television Award

DAME Deborah James could be posthumously honoured at the National Television Awards for the emotional film charting her final days.

The Sun columnist, who died last year at 40 from bowel cancer, has been shortlisted for the Authored Documentary gong for her special, Bowelbabe In her Own Words.

Brave Dame Debs worked with the BBC on the film, which followed her journey from first diagnosis and chemotherapy, through her You Me and the Big C podcast and articles for The Sun and her pioneering work for charity.

It used archive footage from her own social media plus raw and emotional interviews.

Debs is shortlisted alongside popstar Lewis Capaldi for his How I’m Feeling Now mental health piece for Netflix.

Busted star Matt Willis’ Fighting Addiction for BBC2 and rugby player Rob Burrow’s Living with MND complete the shortlist.

Viewer votes will decide the winner, which will be announced at the awards bash at London’s o2 on September 5.

For Dame Debs’ parents Heather and Alistair, the film, which first aired in April this year, was a “very emotional and, at times, hard watch”.

Alistair said: “It brings it home that she’s not here any more, but it also shows what a crazy, wonderful girl she was.

“It’s a really honest account of what it’s like to live with and face dying from stage 4 cancer.

“Many people only came to know Deborah in her last seven weeks, when there was an incredible outpouring of love for her. The film is an opportunity for people to see the impact she made in the whole five years she lived with cancer.

Heather added: “She always lived life to the full and put in 110 per cent to everything she did, even cancer.”

Dame Debs’ Bowelbabe Fund has raised over £11million.

Her parents hope the film would alert others to the disease and said: “The more awareness that’s raised, the more people will be diagnosed earlier, when this disease can be treated.”