London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jun 28, 2026

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
GB News Pundit Charged With Fraud Over Alleged Conduct as Former Labour Adviser
Reform UK Gains Parliamentary Visibility in First Senedd Opposition Appearance
Metropolitan Police Arrest Man on Suspicion of Attempted Murder After London Car Incident
Ocado Chief Executive Tim Steiner Faces Scrutiny Over £100 Million Remuneration Package
British Chambers of Commerce Downgrades UK Growth Outlook to 0.9 Percent for 2026
Nottingham University Hospitals Maternity Failings Trigger Renewed Calls for Public Inquiry
Severe Heatwave Disrupts UK Transport Networks and Strains Public Services Across England
Labour Leadership Transition Raises Prospect of Andy Burnham Becoming UK Prime Minister
UK Government Confirms Further Medicine Price Concessions for Community Pharmacies in June
British Chambers of Commerce Calls for Public Procurement Reform to Boost Regional Growth
Thousands Mark Armed Forces Day Across the United Kingdom With National Parades and Flypasts
Man Arrested in Ealing on Suspicion of Attempted Murder After Vehicle Ramming Incident Injures Five
Cambridge South Station Opens With £250 Million Investment to Strengthen Life Sciences Corridor
UK Heat-Health Alerts Extended Across England as High Temperatures Persist
Thames Water and Energy Operators Warn of Peak Demand Risks During UK Heatwave
Government Conference Highlights Push for Evidence-Led Policy Across UK Public Sector
Insolvency Service Reports Improved Confidence in UK Insolvency System
Security Industry Authority Finds Widespread Safety Failures in UK Night-Time Economy
Nigel Farage Expands Anti-WHO Campaign Into United States With New Lobbying Structure
Home Secretary Seema Mahmood Unveils New Safe Routes Plan for Asylum Seekers
UK Government Warns of Peak Electricity and Water Pressure Amid Ongoing Heatwave
New Nuclear Plant in Wales Named Gwyndod Power Station as Energy Strategy Advances
UK Announces First Major Hydropower Projects in Four Decades to Expand Renewable Capacity
Thirteen Men Charged in Major UK Sexual Abuse Case as Investigation Continues
UK Launches Cross-Sector Climate Security Taskforce Linking Environment and National Security
UN Secretary-General António Guterres Calls for Urgent Global Methane Emissions Cuts in London
World Bank Approves $1 Billion UK-Backed Financing Package for Ukraine Recovery
UK Pledges Emergency Aid and Rescue Team Deployment to Earthquake-Hit Venezuela
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 3.75 Percent for Fourth Straight Meeting
Record-Breaking Heatwave Puts Strain on UK Health Services and Energy Networks
London Ambulance Service Sees Record Emergency Demand as Heatwave Intensifies
British Chambers of Commerce Warns of Prolonged Weak Investment Climate Through 2027
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates as Inflation Risks Persist
UK Construction Sector Faces One Percent Contraction Amid Cost and Investment Pressures
Former DUP Leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson Convicted of Sexual Offences
Church of England Appoints Dr Linsay Cunningham to Lead Faith and Public Life Division
UK Armed Forces Day Marked Nationwide With Events From Aberdeen to the Scilly Isles
Rising Tensions in Edinburgh Prompt Joint Warning From Scottish Local Government Leaders
UK Construction Sector Forecast to Contract One Percent in 2026 on Cost Pressures
UK Parliament Backs 87 Percent Emissions Cut as Government Deepens Electrification Drive
British Chambers of Commerce Forecast Weak UK Growth as Investment and Demand Slow
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 3.75 Percent Amid Energy and Inflation Uncertainty
London Ambulance Service Reports Record Surge in Life-Threatening Emergency Calls During Heatwave
UK Parliament Approves Legally Binding 87 Percent Emissions Cut Target by 2040
United Kingdom Records Third Consecutive Day of Record June Heat as Europe Faces Worsening Heatwave
Robert Jenrick Defends £5 Million Donation to Nigel Farage Amid Political Scrutiny
Plymouth Museum The Box Wins 2026 Art Fund Museum of the Year Award
UK Government Faces Backlash Over Plans to Use Former Military Sites for Asylum Accommodation
Labour Party Faces Pressure Over Cabinet Stability as Senior Figures Clash on Policy Direction
Heathrow Airport Forecasts Passenger Decline in 2026 as Costs and Climate Disruption Mount
×