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The hosts of award-winning cancer podcast You, Me and the Big C have paid tribute to Dame Deborah James in a special one-off live episode of the show before they go off-air.

Lauren Mahon, 37, one of its original hosts, and co-presenter Steve Bland, whose wife Rachael started the show before she died from cancer in 2018, bid an emotional farewell to fans.

The live show is expected to be the penultimate episode of the almost five-year-old BBC podcast, and covered its legacy while also remembering the hosts and guests who had died from cancer since it began. 

Speaking on the podcast, Deborah’s siblings Ben James and Sarah Wieczorek paid tribute to their big sister who died at their parents’ home in Woking last year, aged 40. 

‘She has always been the same, and I don’t think cancer changed her. Anything she ever did was always the best,’ Sarah said.

On her tireless fundraising as she came off active treatment, Ben said: ‘I remember she said she never planned to go quietly as it were, she told us let’s get home, let’s chat through things.

‘She just had this vision of wanting to give more people more time by doing something good and using her platform to raise as much money, as much awareness as she could.’

Lauren, who with Rachael and Deb was part of the ‘three musketeers’ who started the show, told Steve and the producers: ‘I could never have imagined that we would be sat here in this room without the girls, but with you guys.

Lauren Mahon (centre) paid tribute to Rachael Bland (left) and Dame Deborah James (right), her late co-hosts of award-winning podcast You, Me and the Big C during its penultimate episode

Lauren Mahon (centre) paid tribute to Rachael Bland (left) and Dame Deborah James (right), her late co-hosts of award-winning podcast You, Me and the Big C during its penultimate episode

Speaking on the podcast, Deborah's siblings Ben James and Sarah Wieczorek said their big sister 'had a vision of wanting to give more [cancer sufferers] more time'

Speaking on the podcast, Deborah’s siblings Ben James and Sarah Wieczorek said their big sister ‘had a vision of wanting to give more [cancer sufferers] more time’

‘It’s been a massive part of who I now am. I am just so grateful because we’ve been it through it all together, some of the hardest times in our lives.’

In the poignant close to the the show, Steve, 41, explains that the team decided to use a recording of Dame Deborah, who died aged 40 from bowel cancer in June last year.

‘There is only one way that we can really wrap this up, and I’ll be honest, she didn’t always get the outro right, but there were some occasions where she did. So we’re going to give the last word to our Deb.’

After saying thank you and urging people to spread the word about the podcast, an excitable Deborah proudly screams out that she did the take ‘in one.’ 

The special live show, recorded last week but released today, is expected to be the penultimate episode of the almost five-year-old BBC podcast

‘I never do that, ever!’ she laughed with her fellow hosts. 

Steve and Lauren announced at the start of this year that they would be leaving the podcast behind, admitting that it was a ‘tough’ decision but that they no longer felt their lives were relevant to sufferers of the disease.

Steve has now remarried and is expecting twins with his new wife Amy, while Lauren has been clear of cancer for five years. 

Lauren opened up saying that the only times she ever regretted getting involved with the show were following the deaths of Rachael and Deborah.

'She has always been the same, and I don't think cancer changed her. Anything she ever did was always the best,' Sarah said about her sister

‘She has always been the same, and I don’t think cancer changed her. Anything she ever did was always the best,’ Sarah said about her sister

‘The hardest podcasts we’ve ever had to record were in the aftermath of Racheal and Deborah. Those are very different because that’s talking about losing a friend.

‘I think with everything else, you can compartmentalise it as work, I could probably talk about my cancer experience upside down, under water, I’m used to talking about it all the time.’

She explained how the podcast almost came to an end in 2018, as she and Deborah struggled to see a way forward following Rachael’s death. 

‘I remember when Rachael died and me and Deb had already decided we weren’t going to do it anymore. In the lead up to Racheal’s death me and Deb talked about it and said we don’t want to do it anymore… I don’t know mentally how I’m going to get there.

Lauren (front of picture), who with Rachael and Deb was part of the trio who started the show, said: 'I could never have imagined that we would be sat here in this room without the girls'

Lauren (front of picture), who with Rachael and Deb was part of the trio who started the show, said: ‘I could never have imagined that we would be sat here in this room without the girls’

‘And then, when Rachael had outright said “no, you’re doing it” – and you don’t say no to a dying woman – I think that was one of the hardest times where I was like I don’t know if I want to do this anymore.’

The podcast went on to help raise millions for cancer charities, in large part thanks to the relentless activism of Deborah through social media and TV shows like Lorraine.

Steve said: ‘I remember her saying to me, “If I do these dancing around in my underwear videos, people seem to like them, people seem to engage with them, so I think I’ll just do more of those”.

‘It wasn’t just a vanity thing for her,’ he said about her racking up over 1million social media followers, ‘it was done because that’s what got her the engagement and to talk to more people.’

In the poignant close to the the show, Steve (centre) explains that the team decided to use a recording of Dame Deborah (left), who died aged 40 from bowel cancer in June last year, thanking listeners

In the poignant close to the the show, Steve (centre) explains that the team decided to use a recording of Dame Deborah (left), who died aged 40 from bowel cancer in June last year, thanking listeners

After an initial target of £250,000, Dame Deborah raised millions for her cancer charity Bowelbabe Fund, with a milestone amount of £7million being reached shortly after her death.

‘We told her she needed rest, but near the end of her life Debs’ way of surviving was just doing,’ remembered Lauren.

‘Deborah achieved more in her last seven weeks than most people ever do in their life, she showed us right up didn’t she!’

In a touching tribute, cancer campaigner Errol McKellar pointed up at the sky and said of Deborah: ‘I don’t think they’re ready for her up there.

Speaking to Dame Deborah's siblings, the current hosts of the podcast Steve and Lauren remembered their friend's tireless fundraising

Speaking to Dame Deborah’s siblings, the current hosts of the podcast Steve and Lauren remembered their friend’s tireless fundraising

‘We had an angel down here,’ he said, ‘God has now got his angel back… and he will probably be glad because she will take over up there!’

Paying tribute to Rachael Bland and the huge impact her production had, BBC DJ Tony Livesey said: ‘We’re put on Earth to do one thing well in our lives and we all get remembered for that.

‘She was put on Earth to produce that podcast, put you lot together and save people’s lives. Not just their lives but their mental health as well.’

‘It’s changed the way the whole country talks about cancer.

‘I grew up in a background where nobody even said the word. It was about four hours after my mum died when all my relatives were round the house where my aunty finally told me she had died of cancer, and even then it was “the C word”, it wasn’t cancer.

‘It’s just unthinkable, someone had to move the dial, change the conversation,’ he told Lauren and Steve.

‘That’s the beauty of what Rachael dreamt up and you guys did with her and Debs, you moved that dial.’

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This post first appeared on Daily mail