Deborah James shares gruelling toll cancer took on marriage in poignant BBC doc
Dame Deborah James addressed the toll her bowel cancer treatment had on marriage before her sad death last year.
In a poignant new documentary about her gruelling battle with stage four cancer bowel cancer, the mother-of-two, who married banker Sebastien Bowen, 42, in 2008, said that her marriage became affected when she was undergoing treatment.
After she was first diagnosed with 2016, Deborah launched her BowelBabe blog where she candidly documented her battle against bowel cancer. Meanwhile, the former headteacher gained almost 1 million followers on Instagram.
The inspiring star, who sadly passed away on June 28, 2022, detailed how the cancer caused havoc through almost every aspect of her life - including her marriage.
Dame Deborah sadly passed away on June 28, 2022 (bowelbabe/Instagram)
Deborah shared kids Hugo, 15, and Eloise, 13, with husband Sebastian (Dave Benett/Getty Images for JW Marriott Grosvenor House London)The upcoming BBC2 documentary, called Bowelbabe: In Her Own Words, is an archive-based programme which looks at the final five years of Deborah's extraordinary life, where she raised more than £11 million for charity as well as awareness for bowel cancer while undergoing treatment for the disease.
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In a teaser clip for the programme seen by the Mail Online Deborah, who shared kids Hugo, 15, and Eloise, 13, with husband Sebastian, paid tribute to her husband and shared her gratitude over his support throughout her battle.
During a recording session of one of the You, Me and the Big C podcast episodes, Deborah said of her marriage: "The thing that I forget sometimes - because my husband said this before - is that there are two people going through this.
Deborah said her cancer battle took a toll on her marriage (bowelbabe/Instagram)
Deborah fought her cancer for six years (BBC/Zinc Media/@Bowelbabe)"One moment I'm vomiting and crying in pain or complaining in the dark depths of thinking 'oh I hate cancer'.
"And then the next minute, I want to be seen as like... 'oh, do you want to have sex with me? Right? I want to be like, "you must desire me."
Deborah added: "To be able to flip through all those emotions is a total head-screw. We muddle on through and I do love my husband very much. And actually, I'm just thinking, 'I do really hope we can grow old together'.
It comes after Deborah's widower admits he finds it difficult to articulate how tough it's been since her passing.
Deborah with Sebastien, Eloise and Hugo
Dame Deborah and her city banker husband Sebastian (Instagram)Earlier this month, Sebastien spoke in his first TV interview since her death about how tough it's been, but how even in her death, she had managed to do everything she wanted including raising money to fight against the disease.
Speaking in a pre-recorded interview with BBC Breakfast, he shared of her final moments with her family: "I think she died in probably one of the best ways you could hope to die with this terrible disease.
"She died surrounded by her mother, father, brother, sister, me, all of us holding her hand being there for her. It was as much as it can be, the first time I’ve ever seen someone pass away, but I think there was a peace to it."
Sebastien Bowen said his wife found joy even on her final days (PA)
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He added: "She had done everything she could hope to achieve."
Sebastien explained how Deborah had always taught him about the fighting spirit and embracing life, even up to the "final moments".
He said she was able to achieve such a positive mindset, even right at the end.
BBC2 documentary Bowelbabe: In Her Own Words airs at 9pm on 14 April.
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