Dame Deborah James has been honoured by Entertainment Daily readers following her death at the age of just 40.
Deborah – a mum of two – died earlier this year after being diagnosed with bowel cancer.
In the later stages of her life she worked tirelessly to help raise vital funds and awareness for bowel cancer.
Now, as the full results of the first-ever Entertainment Daily Awards are announced, we are thrilled to announce that Dame Deborah James has been honoured posthumously.
Dame Deborah James wins Inspiration Award
After the votes were counted, Dame Deborah was named ED!’s Most Inspirational Celebrity of the Year 2022.
She scooped more than a third of the votes and faced competition from Kate Garraway, Ellie Simmonds, Katie Piper, Rylan Clark, Julia Bradbury, Chloe Kelly, Dame Kelly Holmes and Dr Alex George.
ED! Awards coordinator Christian Guiltenane said: “It’s an honour to posthumously award the Most Inspirational Celebrity of the Year Award to Dame Deborah James.
“Her strength and courage towards the end of her life, while she fought tirelessly to help others and raise awareness for this dreadful disease, is nothing short of inspirational.”
Last words revealed by grieving mum
Deborah’s mother, Heather, spoke over the summer about her last moments with her beloved daughter.
She said that her daughter confessed that she “didn’t want to die” in a late-night chat before her death.
Heather said: “The hardest thing was knowing that she was going to die. As a mother, knowing I couldn’t do anything about it.
“She did say: ‘I don’t want to die.’ And that’s the hardest, saddest part.”
Heather also revealed that Deborah told her she had “no regrets”.
Speaking about the support and outpouring of grief from the public, she also added to BBC Breakfast: “I still find that amazing that she had the love of the people out there, and that meant a lot.
“It’s meant a lot to the family, and it still does.”
Read more: Entertainment Daily Awards 2022: Full list of winners here
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