Husband of Dame Deborah James finds love again with 'mystery woman'

Metro

22-06-2025

The widower of Dame Deborah James has romance in his life again, three years on from her death.
Dame Deborah died on June 28, 2022, at the age of 40, having been diagnosed with incurable bowel cancer in 2016.
Throughout her career, she was incredibly vocal about living with the disease via the You, Me and the Big C podcast and raised over £11million with her Bowelbabe Fund.
Before she died, the journalist – who received a Damehood just weeks before – insisted that she wanted her husband, Sebastien Bowen, to 'move on' when she was no longer around.
And now, he is doing exactly that and fulfilling her wishes.
New photos have captured Sebastien, who Dame Deborah wed in 2008, on a loved-up outing with a mystery woman.
Sebastien strolled hand-in-hand with his other half along the towpath beside the River Thames after lunching at The River Cafe in Hammersmith, west London, which has proven to be a celebrity hotspot.
The 45-year-old was in deep conversation with the unnamed brunette, who appeared to be in her thirties and was sporting a chic red dress and sunglasses.
They laughed and joked, walking at a leisurely pace with their arms firmly around each other's waists.
Having spotted the pair, a passer-by told MailOnline: 'They looked like they were very much in love.
'It was very sweet. For anyone who was inspired by Dame Deborah's attitude to life, it was really heartening to see her husband looking happy again.'
In December last year, the publication revealed that Sebastien, who first met Dame Deborah in 2005, was open to dating again after losing his wife of 14 years.
The publication stressed that it was 'early days,' but he had been on 'several dates' in a bid to 'rebuild his life'.
Adding that he was 'taking things slowly,' a source shared: 'Deborah is going to be a tough act to follow, as they had a fantastic marriage and made a great couple.
'But Seb feels the time has come for him to move on, as Deborah wanted him to.'
Dame Deborah had two children with Sebastien: a daughter named Eloise, now 15, and son Hugo, now 17.
In May 2022, she revealed that she had moved to hospice-at-home care, writing on Instagram that her body 'simply wasn't playing ball' despite 'trying everything'.
She added that she was spending her final days 'with [her] incredible family all around [her]' focusing on 'making sure [she's] not in pain and spending time with them'.
Later on her BBC Radio 5 Live show, Dame Deborah reflected on her marriage and hopes of him finding someone else.
'I don't think I have ever seen my husband so emotional, but now he has suddenly realised the enormity of this,' she said.
'I have given him strict instructions: I want him to move on.'
She added: 'He's a handsome man. I'm, like, 'Don't be taken for a ride, don't marry a bimbo, find someone else who can make you laugh like we did'.'
The former deputy headteacher turned avid campaigner also joked on her podcast that she had a few people whom she didn't want Sebastien to hook up with.
'I would do my damned hardest to haunt him.'
Sebastien is a banker working for the private equity firm Pomona Capital. More Trending
In 2023, Dame Deborah's mother, Heather, told the Daily Telegraph: 'We give Seb our blessing.
'We want him to move forward when he feels ready.'
'Deborah will be a hard act to follow, but he has our blessing,' she repeated. 'Because Deborah wanted him to move on, we want him to move on.'
If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with cancer, Macmillan can offer support and information.
You can contact their helpline on 0808 808 00 00 (7 days a week from 8am to 8pm), use their webchat service, or visit their site for more information.