Dame Deborah James' brave daughter, 15, reveals what her mum taught her as she continues her legacy on ITV show

The Sun

21-04-2025

Felicity Cross, Deputy TV Editor
Published: Invalid Date,
THE teenage daughter of cancer campaigner Dame Deborah James says 'life is just not that serious' as she takes on her fun-loving mum's legacy.
Eloise, 15, is stepping into the spotlight in the ongoing fight against bowel cancer.
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And she is determined to make campaigning fun, like her mum who often dressed in a poo outfit.
Eloise joins forces with telly host Lorraine Kelly to support her No Butts initiative on ITV today.
Sun columnist Deborah died aged 40 in 2022, five years after her stage four bowel cancer diagnosis.
Eloise declared: 'Mum would be chuffed I was doing this because spreading awareness is what it's all about.
'Mum didn't want to make it something scary, she wanted to make it something fun.
'She made it like dances, making jokes out of it.
'It gets to people more than being serious, 'cause no one is going to listen to someone being serious the whole time.
'Life is just not that serious, at the end of the day.'
Lorraine's No Butts initiative was launched by Dame Deborah in 2021.
GCSE student Eloise has fronted a film to back the effort alongside her grandmother Heather.
Cuddling up to dog Winnie in their garden at home in Woking, Surrey, they look at white rose bushes named in Dame Deborah's honour and remember the mother of two's campaigns.
Eloise recalls cheeky merchandise including branded loo roll and knickers.
And she tells of Prince William's visit in May 2022, when he conferred Deborah's damehood.
Eloise, sister to Hugo, said: 'I remember making meringues when Prince William came and [Heather] was going round the house like, 'We have to tidy, we have to tidy'.
'The house was spotless but she was like, 'My house is a tip, I'm so sorry Prince William'.
'She spent 24 hours tidying, I don't know why she was apologising.
'The loo roll is genius, it's something that's a cheeky reminder.
'Mum was dressed like a poo half the time! I remember her drawing poo shapes and trying to tell us about the types of poos.'
April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month.
Nearly 43,000 people are diagnosed each year in the UK and more than 16,500 died from the disease last year, making it the second biggest cancer killer.
Bowel cancer is treatable if diagnosed early.
Symptoms include blood in your poo, unexplainable weight loss, extreme tiredness and lumps or pain in the tummy.
Eloise added: 'What mum wanted was for everyone to know the truth, that it can happen to anybody.
'Even if you're the most healthy person in the room you've still have chance of getting it.'
NO BUTTS, with Eloise and Heather, is on ITV1's Lorraine today from 9am.
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The signs of bowel cancer you need to know
1. B: Bleeding
There are several possible causes of bleeding from your bottom, of blood in your poo.
Bright red blood could come from swollen blood vessels, haemorrhoids or piles, in your back passage.
Dark red or black blood could come from your bowel or stomach.
Blood in your stools is one of the key signs of bowel cancer, so it's important to mention it to your doctor so they can investigate.
2. O: Obvious change in loo habits
It's important to tell your GP if you have noticed any changes in your bowel habits, that lasts three weeks or longer.
It's especially important if you have also noticed signs of blood in your poo.
You might notice you need to go to the loo more often, you might have looser stools or feel like you're not going enough or fully emptying your bowels.
Don't be embarrassed, your GP will have heard a lot worse! Speak up and get it checked.
3. W: Weight loss
This is less common than the other symptoms, but an important one to be aware of. If you've lost weight and don't really know why, it's worth mentioning to your GP.
You may not feel like eating, feel sick, bloated and not hungry.
4. E: Extreme tiredness
Bowel cancer that causes bleeding can cause a lack of iron in the body – anaemia. If you develop anaemia you're likely to feel tired and your skin might look pale.
5. L: Lump or pain
As with lots of other forms of cancer, a lump or pain can be a sign of bowel cancer.
It's most likely you'll notice a pain or lump in your stomach or back passage.
See your GP if it doesn't go away, or if it affects how you eat or sleep