Eloise, the daughter of late bowel cancer campaigner Dame Deborah James, has movingly opened up about her late mum on Lorraine – revealing the ways she keeps her spirit alive
Deborah’s daughter made her TV debut as she spoke emotionally of her late mum(Image: @Bowelbabe/Instagram)
Dame Deborah James’ daughter Eloise has revealed how she keeps her mum’s memory alive.
Deborah’s daughter and mother Heather James joined the Scottish presenter to talk about Deborah’s incredible legacy and the No Butts bowel campaign, now in its fifth year and continuing to save lives.
Her daughter Eloise was just 12 when she lost her mum after her courageous battle with cancer. Now 15, she movingly told Lorraine that, although Christmas is a tough time of year, her mother’s memory keeps her alive.
In her first ever TV interview, Eloise said of her trailblazing mum – known as @bowelbabe: ”I think someone doesn’t leave your life until you lose their memory. You always have her memory. Over Christmas we think of her.
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Eloise says her mum will be ‘there with her’ this Christmas
“She’s there with me at Christmas because she loved holidays, that was her thing. Halloween, you should have seen her on Halloween! As long as I keep that alive, she’s always with me.” Heather also revealed that the No Butts campaign has raised a huge amount of funds and they are determined to keep raising awareness and saving lives.
Heather said: “[We’ve raised] Over £19 million, wouldn’t it be great if we could make £20 million.” She also explained that the funds are being used towards groundbreaking scientific research. Heather added: “It was so eye opening and the money you’ve [all] helped us raise, it’s going to that research, it’s what Deborah wanted. That’s what we continue to do.”
Eloise, who has a brother Hugo, 17, also told host Lorraine that she is proudly continuing her mum’s work, by raising awareness of the early symptoms of bowel cancer. “It’s good to raise awareness, everyone needs to know it affects everyone. It’s better to raise awareness in the younger generation and get checked out early,” she said.
Deborah’s mother Heather has previously appeared on Lorraine speaking bravely about her late daughter’s legacy(Image: ITV)
Back in April, Deborah’s mum said of her daughter, “Deborah lived with incurable bowel cancer for five years before she died in June 2022, aged just 40. I like to say she led a triple life, because right from when she was a little girl, she enjoyed every moment, and she continued finding joy in everything even after her diagnosis.
“I had 40 brilliant years with Deborah, but of course I wish I could have had more. She taught me just how precious life really is.”
Deborah’s widow Sebastien Bowen was revealed to have found love again, three years after her death, when he was seen in London back in June with a mystery woman.
Before she died, the inspirational campaigner – who received a Damehood just weeks before, and was visited by Prince William – insisted that she wanted her husband to ‘move on’ when she was no longer around.
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