Ben Cohen's ex Abby 'owes' Deborah James her life after bowel cancer diagnosis

30 August 2023 , 07:19

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Ben Cohen's ex wife Abby Cohen 'owes' Deborah James her life after bowel cancer diagnosis (Image: Instagram)

Abby Cohen has revealed she 'owes' Dame Deborah James her life after being successfully treated for bowel cancer in a heartfelt new interview.

The 42-year-old, best known as the ex-wife of Ben Cohen, took to Instagram in May to announce she had been diagnosed with the disease in her "toughest" update yet.

"I’m unlucky, but lucky, to have been warned only once with a symptom of this terrible illness," she told her 3.6k followers. "With huge thanks to the NHS for saving my life & taking good care of me when I felt so scared & most vulnerable. I can’t express enough how lucky I am to have such amazing family & friends that have helped me through this incredibly tough journey."

Abby, who split from Rugby Union player Ben Cohen in 2013, went on to urge her fans to "never ignore" symptoms, no matter how benign they may seem. She received surgery this summer after doctors discovered 'granulated mass of spiky, angry ulcerated nodules' in her colon' and has fortunately now been given an all-clear.

Abby Cohen says she owes Dame Deborah James her life (AbbyCohen/Instagram)

Abby and Ben Cohen before their split (James Shaw/REX/Shutterstock)

"In time and with the right treatment, I’m hoping this WILL all be a distant memory for me," she said before undergoing the operation.

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Having now been treated, she has recalled how she felt "numbing" fear when she was first told by doctors what they'd found on her colon.

'I had so many questions from people following my Instagram post that I want to share what happened,' she says. 'I'm aware I have this platform from my marriage breakdown and the way it was so public, so I want to share my experiences to help others.'

Abby, whose cancer was caught at an early enough stage to be curable, goes on to acknowledge that she's "one of the lucky ones" and an "an example of someone who acted on a symptom fairly quickly." The commercial photographer then expressed her hopes that the disease wouldn't return, before adding, "I want to show if you act quickly you can be all right."

Elsewhere in her Mail Online interview she speaks fondly of Dame Deborah Jones, who died of bowel cancer aged 40 in June 2022 after tirelessly campaigning to raise awareness of the disease. Abby revealed that the TV presenter had "been on my mind" after her own diagnosis before hailing her as "the reason" she "acted so swiftly" in seeing her GP.

Abby says she's owes her life to Dame Deborah James, who died in June 2022 of bowel cancer (INSTAGRAM)

Abby Cohen in hospital for cancer treatment (AbbyCohen/Instagram)

Abby split from husband Ben in 2013 after he appeared on Strictly Come Dancing, only to divorce 3 years later. "My whole world fell apart when Ben made the decision to end our marriage. It's like a bus has hit you. I was broken, completely broken," she told the Sun in 2020. "One moment you're a family unit, the next you not only lose your husband but your children when they're with their dad."

Two, Abby and Ben co-parent their twin daughters, 15-year-old Harriette and Isabelle. The 44-year-old athlete also has a daughter with professional ballroom dancer Kristina Rihanoff, whom he met on the BBC One reality series.

Emma Dooney