London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 24, 2025

Dame Deborah James' on-air goodbye named radio moment of the year at Aria Awards

Dame Deborah James' on-air goodbye named radio moment of the year at Aria Awards

The emotional final on-air conversation between Dame Deborah James and BBC presenter Tony Livesey has been voted moment of the year at the UK radio industry's annual awards.

The You, Me and the Big C podcaster, who also set up the Bowelbabe cancer research fund, died last year aged 40.

She made a touching last appearance alongside Livesey on BBC Radio 5 Live last May, shortly before her death.

It was named the Radio Times Moment of the Year at the Aria Awards on Tuesday.

In the interview, Livesey was heard refusing to say goodbye, while thanking Dame Deborah and offering "a big warm hug".

She responded by thanking him back for his support, as well as listeners for "coming on this crazy journey with us."



Livesey, who was on hand to pick up the award, told the Radio Times last month that ending the call was one of the hardest things he has ever had to do.

"I couldn't put the phone down as I knew it would be the last time I would speak to her," he said. "We were like young kids on a date - 'you put it down', 'no you put it down.'

"In the end she put the phone down. And that was the last time I ever spoke to her."

Dame Deborah launched the podcast with fellow cancer patients Lauren Mahon and Rachael Bland, to explore life with and myths about the disease. It won the Arias' impact award on Tuesday evening at London's Theatre Royal.

Another of the night's winners also focused on life, death, love and loss. US comedian Rob Delaney's A Heart That Works, a memoir about his young son Henry who died of a brain tumour, took the award for best audiobook or reading.

Rob Delaney's book and audiobook tackle the topic of his son's death


Other winners included comedian Romesh Ranganathan - for his BBC podcast For the Love of Hip Hop - as well as BBC radio DJs Craig Charles and Tony Blackburn.

Blackburn won the pioneer award shortly before being discharged from London's Wellington hospital, where he had been for three weeks with a chest infection.

"After my treatment and a rest I look forward to getting back at Radio 2 and BBC local radio to doing what I love doing," he wrote on Twitter.


Elsewhere at the awards, run by the Radio Academy, 1Xtra's Nadia Jae picked up the prize for best music breakfast show. 5 Live Breakfast won best speech breakfast show and TalkSport's Adrian Durham was named best speech presenter.

Radio 4 won UK station of the year, and In Dark Corners - its investigation into historical sexual abuse at Scottish schools - was named best factual series.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
China and Russia Deploy Seductive Espionage Networks to Infiltrate U.S. Tech Sector
Apple’s ‘iPhone Air’ Collapses After One Month — Another Major Misstep for the Tech Giant
Graham Potter Begins New Chapter as Sweden Head Coach on Short-Term Deal
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Plot via Chocolate and Jam
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
×