December 10, 2019, London, United Kingdom: Deborah James arrives at the TRIC Christmas Charity Lunch at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London. London United Kingdom - ZUMAs197 20191210_zaa_s197_168 Copyright: xKeithxMayhewx

BBC presenter Deborah James, who has been suffering from colon cancer for years, is dead. She died peacefully on Tuesday surrounded by her relatives, the family said on Instagram. “We are incredibly proud of her (…) and her endless efforts to raise awareness of cancer.” Even in her most difficult moments, her determination has been inspiring.

James, who has now died at the age of 40, made a name for herself with a BBC podcast about cancer, in which she was very open about her own colon cancer.

In May, the mother of a boy and a girl made it public that no cure was possible. At the same time, she started a fundraiser and collected almost seven million pounds (around 8.1 million euros) for cancer research.