Lorraine Kelly and other friends of Dame Deborah James are planning to get matching tattoos to honour the late cancer campaigner and podcast host.
Deborah, known to her one million online followers as Bowelbabe, died last month from bowel cancer at the age of 40.
She had been a regular guest on Lorraine’s ITV show, and as the presenter discussed her friend’s funeral – which took place on Wednesday – she revealed she will be getting a permanent tribute.
“There was a whole bunch of us that said we’re going to get tattoos with Rebellious Hope on them,” Lorraine said on Thursday, referring to a phrase that became synonymous with Dame Deborah.
“I think I agreed to that! We’re just deciding where they’re going to be.”
She added: “We might have to film that, I think that’s going to happen.”
During the same segment on her show, Lorraine discussed Deborah’s funeral, which she attended.
“There were a lot of tears and there really was genuinely a lot of laughs too, so it was great,” Lorraine said.
“She planned it all and it was perfection, as you would expect.”
She continued: “I was very honoured to be there with some of our team. It was a beautiful beautiful send-off, it was so lovely and it was sad but it was also a celebration of a wonderful wonderful woman.”
Dame Deborah’s friends and family gathered to celebrate her life during an intimate service at St Mary’s Church in Barnes, west London.
Her coffin arrived in a vintage Rolls-Royce hearse with more than a dozen members of her family walking in procession behind, and it was adorned with the rose that was named after her.
Deborah, a former headteacher, was known for fronting the podcast You, Me And The Big C, which she co-founded with Lauren Mahon and the late Rachael Bland.
She was awarded a Damehood by the Duke of Cambridge at her home for her “tireless campaigning” efforts in May, after raising millions of pounds for cancer charities.
Lorraine airs weekdays at 9am on ITV.
