The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission. Why trust us?

Honour Dame Deborah James with the charity T-shirt she designed

The ‘Rebellious Hope’ tees support the BowelBabe Fund

Eva Waite-Taylor
Wednesday 29 June 2022 09:55 BST
Thanks to her ‘tireless campaigning’ James was made a dame in June
Thanks to her ‘tireless campaigning’ James was made a dame in June (@bowelbabe/The Independent)

Your support helps us to tell the story

This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.

The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.

Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.

Dame Deborah James, the co-host of the hugely successful podcast You, Me and The Big C who campaigned tirelessly and fundraised millions of pounds for research into bowel cancer has died, with her family by her side. The 40-year-old started out blogging about her diagnosis and used her Instagram, under the name BowelBabe, as a means of sharing her experiences and raising awareness of the symptoms of bowel cancer.

In early May, James announced to her 1 million followers that she had stopped active treatment and had moved to hospice care at her parent’s home. It was in this post that she also shared the news that she had set up a fundraiser, Bowelbabe Fund, to raise money and awareness for the charities close to her heart.

A few days later, she was made a dame, with Prince William visiting her home to honour her “tireless campaigning” for raising awareness of bowel cancer. Her sheer determination is proved only further following the announcement that she’d written a second book, How To Live Life When You Could Be Dead (£14.99, Waterstones.com), and had been busy designing a charitable clothing collection with fashion brand In The Style.

The T-shirts, which feature the words “Rebellious Hope” across the front, were an instant success, with the collection raising £1m in just one month for her BowelBabe Fund for Cancer Research UK. The designs serve as the perfect way to pay tribute to such a remarkably strong woman.

If you want to honour and celebrate the life of Dame Deborah James, as well as support her charity, read on for how you can get your hands on one of the T-shirts that she designed.

Read more:

In The Style x Dame Deborah James ‘Rebellious Hope’ T-shirt: £15, Inthestyle.com

(In The Style)

The phrase ‘Rebellious Hope’ is one that James credited for getting her through her last few years, so the T-shirt collection is certainly the perfect way to honour her life.

Within just one month of selling them, she had raised £1m, and we’re sure this charitable donation will only increase. There are three different designs to choose from, including pink, gold foil (£18, Inthestyle.com), white and navy – the latter being the most recent addition owing to the demand for a unisex design.

These serve as an invaluable way to support the BowelBabe Fund, celebrate Dame Deborah James, and remind us all to consistently have rebellious hope.

Buy now

Do you want to support Dame Deborah James’s charity? Donate to the BowelBabe fund

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in