London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Deborah James: Podcast host visits Chelsea Flower Show to see rose namesake

Deborah James: Podcast host visits Chelsea Flower Show to see rose namesake

Podcast host Dame Deborah James has visited the Chelsea Flower Show to see a rose which has been named after her.

The 40-year-old host of the BBC's You, Me and the Big C podcast revealed earlier this month she is receiving end of life care after being diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2016.

The mother-of-two said she hoped one day the rose might feature in her daughter Eloise's wedding bouquet.

"It meant absolutely everything to me," she told the BBC.

Dame Deborah, who has said roses are her favourite flower, visited Chelsea on Tuesday evening with her husband for a private tour lasting around an hour - which BBC presenter Sophie Raworth helped organise alongside the Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea.

"Flowers are a reminder of our future," Dame Deborah said. "We plant the seed not knowing what we might see grow.

"Being around nature gives us a lift and it is a reminder that life continues to blossom, even in some of the hardest places, and brings a smile to all of our faces, even in the hardest of times - particularly mine."

The rose was introduced at the flower show on Monday by World of Roses as well as the Harkness Rose Company, which bred and named the rose.

Dame Deborah James (right) with BBC presenter Sophie Raworth (left) and the Dame Deborah James Rose at the Chelsea Flower Show

The Dame Deborah James rose is white with a subtle pink centre

Dame Deborah with a bouquet of flowers that includes the rose named after her


It is described as a floribunda which produces masses of white blooms with a subtle "ballet slipper pink" centre. It is repeat flowering from early June.

From the sale of each rose £2.50 will go to the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK, which has raised £6.5m since Dame Deborah revealed that she was moving into hospice-at-home care.

Since her announcement, she has received an outpouring of support and been made a dame, with the honour conferred by Prince William at her family home on 13 May.


What are bowel cancer symptoms?


*  A persistent change in bowel habit - going more often, with looser stools and sometimes tummy pain

*  Blood in the stools without other symptoms, such as piles

*  Abdominal pain, discomfort or bloating always brought on by eating

Dame Deborah began co-presenting the Big C podcast alongside Lauren Mahon and the late BBC Radio 5 Live newsreader Rachel Bland in 2018, with the show earning praise for its frank discussion of cancer.

They spoke to celebrity guests and talked about practical matters including hair loss tips and how to tell your nearest and dearest.

James co-hosted You, Me and the Big C with Rachael Bland (left) and Lauren Mahon (centre)



Watch: Dame Deborah is greeted at Chelsea flower show with a glass of bubbly


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×