Dame Deborah James remembered at private funeral

Close friends and family have paid tribute to cancer campaigner Dame Deborah James at a private funeral.

The 40-year-old mother-of-two died last month after being diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2016.

Known as Bowelbabe, she fundraised £7.4m for charity in her final weeks and received a damehood in a special ceremony at her parents' home.

Lorraine Kelly and Gaby Roslin were among those to pay their respects at the service in south-west London.

The service began at 13:00 BST at St Mary's Church in Barnes with readings and music from relatives.

One mourner was seen carrying the sheet music for the song Tell Me It's Not True from the musical Blood Brothers, later performed by Dame Deborah's friend and singer Natalie Rushdie.

Following her diagnosis, Dame Deborah, a former deputy headteacher, kept her nearly one million Instagram followers up to date with her treatments.

Her candid posts about her progress and diagnosis, including videos of her dancing her way through treatment, won praise from the public and media alike.

Dame Deborah revealed in early May that she had stopped active treatment and was seeing out her final days at her parents' home in Woking, Surrey.

She received end-of-life care with her husband, Sebastien, and their two children, 14-year-old son Hugo and 12-year-old daughter Eloise, by her side.

Her children each read poems at Wednesday's service, while her husband read the eulogy.

The host of the BBC Sounds podcast You, Me and the Big C was awarded her damehood after a special visit by the Duke of Cambridge to her parents' home for afternoon tea and champagne.

Her death was announced on 28 June with a message saying she had died peacefully, surrounded by her family.

Tell me it's not true, Say it's just a story, Something on the news.

Tell me it's not true, Though it's here before me, Say it's just a dream, Say it's just a scene, From an old movie of years ago, From an old movie of Marilyn Monroe.

Say it's just some clowns, Two players in the limelight, And bring the curtain down.

Say it's just two clowns, Who couldn't get their lines right, Say it's just a show on the radio, That we can turn over and start again, That we can turn over; it's just a game.

Tell me it's not true, Say I only dreamed it, And morning will come soon.

Say you didn't mean it, Tell me it's not true, Say it's just pretend, Say it's just the end, Of an old movie from years ago, From an old movie of Marilyn Monroe.

Tell me it's not true, Say I only dreamed it, And morning will come soon.

Tell me it's not true, Say you didn't mean it, Say it's just pretend, Say it's just the end.

Of an old movie from long ago, From an old movie with Marilyn Monroe.

By Willy Russell