Lorraine Kelly has revealed that Dame Deborah James’ funeral was “perfection” after attending the private ceremony following Bowelbabe’s death.
On Wednesday, Dame Deborah’s family and closest friends gathered in West London where the campaigner was laid to rest.
Her funeral came several weeks after Dame Deborah died, at the age of 40, following a public six-year battle with bowel cancer.
Speaking about the intimate funeral, Kelly explained that Dame Deborah had in fact planned the entire thing and that the ceremony was “beautiful.”
“Do you know Ben, it was beautiful,” Kelly told Ben Shepherd on Good Morning Britain. “It was so beautiful. It was such a celebration of an amazing, amazing woman.
She continued: “There were a lot of tears, but there really were genuinely a lot of laughs as well as we remembered her. It was great.”
Speaking about Dame Deborah’s influence over the ceremony, Kelly added: “She planned it all and it was perfection as you would expect.”
“The send-off she deserved,” Shepherd added.
On Wednesday, Dame Deborah’s wicker coffin arrived by Rolls Royce at St Mary’s Church in Barnes. McFly star Tom Fletcher and his wife Giovanna as well as Gaby Roslin were also among attendees at the funeral.
During the emotional service, Dame Deborah’s husband Sebastien delivered a eulogy while the couple’s children Hugo and Eloise both read out poems. Her friends and family later attended a private wake after her coffin was carried away.
Dame Deborah had captured the hearts of the nation for her endless campaigning in efforts to raise awareness of bowel cancer after she was diagnosed with the illness in 2016. She amassed 1 million followers on social media as she shared updates about her treatment while remaining positive about her diagnosis.
However, earlier this year the mother of two revealed that she’d ended treatment and would be returning home to receive end-of-life care.
Her campaigning didn’t end there. Dame Deborah raised a whopping £7 million for cancer research within the last few months of her life. She was named a dame for her relentless campaigning and had a rose named in her honour.
