You, Me and the Big C hosts stepping down as deaths of co-stars 'take a toll'

11 January 2023 , 15:57

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You, Me and the Big C hosts stepping down as deaths of co-stars 'take a toll' (Image: BBC/Claire Wood)

The hosts of the award-winning podcast You, Me and The Big C have decided to step down.

The cancer podcast documented the difficult journeys of the late Dame Deborah James and Rachael Bland.

Hosts Lauren Mahon, 37, and Rachael's widower Steve Bland plan to 'hang up the headphones' for the show after a live recording.

Lauren and Steve appeared on BBC Breakfast on Tuesday morning to announce their decision and thanked listeners for listening to the podcast over the years.

Lauren, who is the last remaining original host of the podcast, told presenters John Kay and Sally Nugent that she expected the live show to be 'emotional'.

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The duo admitted they won't be hosts of the show for a lot longer as the difficult topic has 'taken its toll' on them.

Steve Bland and Lauren Mahon appeared on BBC Breakfast (BBC)

The hosts have decided to step down (Keith Mayhew/SOPA Images/REX/Shutterstock)

You, Me and The Big C premiered as a BBC 5 Live podcast in 2018 with Rachael, Lauren, and Dame Deborah - who were all living with cancer.

Six months later, Rachael passed away at the age of 40 from breast cancer.

In June of last year, Dame Deborah died after battling bowel cancer.

She achieved a lot of incredible feats in the last few years, including raising millions for charity.

Lauren Mahon (front) is the only original host left

Meanwhile, Lauren has been clear of cancer for five years.

Steve and Lauren revealed that the live show has been in the works for many years and Dame Deborah had been excited to take part in it.

Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus pandemic, plans came to a halt.

He said: "It was a big deal for Deb, actually, particularly... Deborah was really excited about it.

"She was so looking forward to it, planning all the outfits and all the different areas to go."

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Lauren added: "She was a wallflower, Deborah."

Deborah James was looking forward to the live shows (INSTAGRAM)

He told BBC Breakfast that they would like the podcast to continue as 'it's a really important thing for so many people.'

"It just takes a toll and it's heavy and it's hard to kind of keep talking about this stuff - particularly when we've had to deal with obviously Rachel and Deborah over the last few years," he said.

She added that she had "many chats" with Steve about the continuation of the podcast as it is a "public service" but "we don't feel like it's for us to continue it".

"How do we get back into that studio without these two remarkable women that began this podcast?" she said.

"People are getting diagnosed everyday - that's not going to change. The world of cancer changes. So I think it would be more appropriate and probably more poignant and relevant to get people that are going through it now."

Zara Woodcock