Remembering Dame Deborah James
The Story
The Times
3.9 • 1.6K Ratings
🗓️ 29 June 2022
⏱️ 33 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Dame Deborah James, campaigner and podcast host, whose chronicling of her incurable bowel cancer inspired the nation and raised millions for charity, has died. In the final months of her life, she spoke to Alice Thomson about her extraordinary charity work, her family and how she chose to live while knowing that she was dying.
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If you would like to donate to Dame Deborah James's Bowelbabe fund, you can do so here: www.justgiving.com/campaign/BowelbabeFund.
Guest: Alice Thomson, columnist and interviewer, The Times.
Host: Manveen Rana.
Clips: BBC, Channel 4 News, 5 News, ITV.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Imagine sweeping through green fields, floating five feet above ground, sun on your face as you slide by on track to your destination. |
| 0:12.0 | Not a car in the world, as you simply lean back. And before you know it, you're there. |
| 0:20.0 | This is how travel should feel, and on our trains, it does. |
| 0:25.0 | Avanti West Coast, feel good travel. |
| 0:30.0 | Hello, I'm Adam Vaughn, the Times' Environment Editor. |
| 0:33.0 | At this October's Earth Summit, the Times and Sunday Times are bringing together some of the UK's top people in sustainability from science to business and government. |
| 0:41.0 | The aim is to make more businesses more green and more profitable. |
| 0:45.0 | How do we revolutionise supply chains? How do we get green investment? |
| 0:49.0 | What opportunities are there when businesses work in an environmentally friendly way? Find out by registering at TimesEarthSummit.com. |
| 1:09.0 | When she announced her move to End of Life Care in May, the Council campaigner, Dame Deborah James, had one small request. |
| 1:18.0 | I hope that anyone who listens to the port, who has read one of my columns, read my book, or listen to my Instagram stuff. |
| 1:27.0 | I suppose it's a kind of full team. Find me a gin tonic to send me on my way and by doing so, hopefully we can raise some money for these charities. |
| 1:38.0 | It led to thousands of people raising their glasses and millions being donated to her Bal Babe fund for cancer charities. |
| 1:55.0 | And as when is speedwriting her second book, How to Live when you could be dead? |
| 2:00.0 | She was also praised by some high profile supporters. |
| 2:04.0 | 6 million pound mark. |
| 2:07.0 | Incredible. We are joined now by Lauren Mann, who of course is Deborah's co-host on the podcast. |
| 2:14.0 | The Prime Minister tweeting, if ever an honour was richly deserved, this is it. |
| 2:18.0 | Deborah has been an inspiration and her honesty, warmth and courage has been a source of strength to so many people. |
| 2:25.0 | But the someone who had known Deborah since her Bal cancer diagnosis in 2016, what was it like to speak to her in the final weeks before her death? |
| 2:42.0 | I'd never interviewed someone that close to death or who knew they were that close to death and who wanted to do an interview about dying. |
| 2:53.0 | You're listening to stories of our times from the times and the Sunday times. I'm Manvian Rana. |
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