‘Deborah, thank you to our extraordinary friend’ – Moving farewell to Dame Deborah James | Celebrity News | Showbiz & TV

TV hosts Lorraine Kelly and Gaby Roslin and BBC newsreader Sophie Raworth were among familiar faces, plus McFly singer and guitarist Tom Fletcher and his wife Giovanna. Dame Deborah, 40, left, was feted by the famous and awarded a damehood by Prince William at a special investiture at her parents’ home in Woking, Surrey.

But, in keeping with the family’s wish for privacy yesterday, only some of her closest friends were at the funeral, held at the 800-year-old Thames-side church.

Former deputy head teacher Dame Deborah died last month after a six-year battle with bowel cancer.

She shot to fame after turning her illness into a crusade to raise awareness of the disease, which kills nearly 17,000 people in Britain every year.

Her You, Me and the Big C podcast became a sensation, while her Bowelbabe website raised more than £7million for vital research.

A bouquet of white roses, named after Dame Deborah when she secretly visited this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, was placed on her wicker coffin.

A family wreath said: “Deborah, thank you to our extraordinary friend.”

“You together with Seb, Eloise and Hugo are such an important part of our family, we will love and miss you forever.”

Sebastien read a eulogy and the children read a poem at the service, conducted by the Rev David Cooke.

Cellist Charles Watt played music by composer Gabriel Faure and jazz singer and family friend Natalie Rushdie sang Tell Me It’s Not True, from the musical Blood Brothers.

In May, Dame Deborah said she had stopped active treatment.

After her death, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge called her “inspirational and unfalteringly brave” and Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Because of her, many many lives will be saved.”