![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://uknews.evprotec.com/bbcs-george-alagiah-said-deborah-james-selfless-gesture-helped-ease-his-fear/&media=https://uknews.evprotec.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/2_Edinburgh-International-Book-Festival-2019.jpg&description=BBC newsreader George Alagiah reached out to Deborah James when he was at a low point in his cancer treatment, and the kind-hearted Bowel Babe made a selfless gesture of friendship Close family, friends and viewers have been sharing heartfelt tributes for BBC newsreader, George Alagiah, who has sadly died at the age of 67 after a nine-year battle with cancer. The Sri Lanka-born journalist was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer in April 2014, and endured gruelling treatment before returning to present BBC News At Six in November 2015. Two years later, his cancer returned and he underwent further treatment before going back to work again, then he took a temporary break from studio duties in October 2021. During one of his darkest moments, George reached out to BBC podcast presenter Dame Deborah James, who was also going through treatment for bowel cancer at the time. He shared the touching gesture of friendship Deborah made, after he got in touch through a mutual friend to chat about their experiences of bowel cancer. It was at a time when George's cancer had scarily spread to his lungs, and Deborah had some positive news about her treatment. In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph last year, George said: "We had a mutual friend. When my cancer got into my lungs they arranged for us to have a conversation because it had got into hers too. When I called her, she was walking out of the Marsden [London's leading cancer hospital], having had her own regular scan to see if the cancer was spreading. That day, it was okay." George said he told Deborah to inform her family of the news immediately, but instead of jumping off the phone, she stopped and spoke to him for half an hour about their shared experiences. The much-loved Bowel Babe - who touched the nation with a podcast chronicling her illness - passed away last June aged 40, after living with the disease for more than five years. Now research from Bowel Cancer UK shows 77 percent of people can name at least two s){kind=link}
BBC newsreader George Alagiah reached out to Deborah James when he was at a low point in his cancer treatment, and the kind-hearted Bowel Babe made a selfless gesture of friendship
Close family, friends and viewers have been sharing heartfelt tributes for BBC newsreader, George Alagiah, who has sadly died at the age of 67 after a nine-year battle with cancer.
The Sri Lanka-born journalist was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer in April 2014, and endured gruelling treatment before returning to present BBC News At Six in November 2015.
Two years later, his cancer returned and he underwent further treatment before going back to work again, then he took a temporary break from studio duties in October 2021.
During one of his darkest moments, George reached out to BBC podcast presenter Dame Deborah James, who was also going through treatment for bowel cancer at the time.