Who is Deborah James’ widowed husband Sebastien?

Sebastien Bowen is the husband of the late Dame Deborah James who passed away from bowel cancer in June 2022.

The loving husband, 43, was thrust into the limelight after his wife, who was known as Bowl Babe, started campaigning and fundraising to raise awareness of bowel cancer after receiving her own terminal diagnosis. 

Deborah, who was a former deputy head teacher, presented the podcast You, Me & the Big C for BBC’s Radio 5 Live and went onto fundraise more than £11 million for cancer research. 

Her husband Sebastien is a London banker who currently works for Pomona Capital, who focuses on secondary investment analysis and deal sourcing in Europe. 

Prior to joining Pomona, he was a Director at MetLife Investments and was previously at AXA Private Equity in London.

Sebastien Bowen is the husband of the late Dame Deborah James who passed away from bowel cancer last year

He attended London’s St Paul’s School and got his master’s degree at the University of Edinburgh. 

How did Deborah and Sebastien meet? 

It’s not clear how the pair met but Deborah revealed she fancied him from the day they first met in her book How To Live When You Could Be Dead.

She revealed he wasn’t perfect but he respected the former deputy head teacher and never let her wrap him around her little finger.

She still thought he was always the most attractive man in the room 18 years later, she said. 

How long were Deborah and Sebastien married? 

In September 2021 the couple celebrated 13 years of marriage.

Taking to Instagram to commemorate their anniversary, Deborah shared a heartwarming video of them dancing together in the South of France.

She wrote: ’13 Years of marriage. My Rock. It was our wedding anniversary earlier this week. Some days the weight of what that means in an uncertain future can be too much.

‘Then it’s the closing of new day. A new day you are grateful to see. A new day you didn’t think you’d feel well in.

‘And you dance. As your kids laugh and film. The sun sets, and you realise how wonderful it is to reach another milestone (and you park the sadness).

The loving husband, 43, was trust into the limelight after his wife, who was known as Bowl Babe, started campaigning and fundraising to raise awareness of bowel cancer after her own terminal diagnosis

The loving husband, 43, was trust into the limelight after his wife, who was known as Bowl Babe, started campaigning and fundraising to raise awareness of bowel cancer after her own terminal diagnosis

Sebastien and Deborah have two children Hugo and Eloise. He appeared on BBC Breakfast with his children and praised his wife's legacy

Sebastien and Deborah have two children Hugo and Eloise. He appeared on BBC Breakfast with his children and praised his wife’s legacy

Deborah, who was a former deputy head teacher, presented the podcast You, Me & the Big C for BBC's Radio 5 Live and went onto fundraise more than £11 million for cancer research

Deborah, who was a former deputy head teacher, presented the podcast You, Me & the Big C for BBC’s Radio 5 Live and went onto fundraise more than £11 million for cancer research

‘And you smile. And you are at one in the moment only. Because for any of us that’s all we ever have anyway.

‘And you give thanks to have people in your life that are the very back bone you remain upright on.

‘Sebastien – Thank you for holding my hand in the darkness and dancing me back into the light. I love you. Always.’  

Do Deborah and Sebastien have any children? 

Sebastien and Deborah have two children Hugo, who was born in 2008, and Eloise, who was born in 2010. 

He appeared on BBC Breakfast with his children Hugo and Eloise and praised his wife’s legacy as her fundraising total of more than £11 million was announced, adding they hang onto her mantra of having ‘rebellious hope’.

He revealed to the program that his wife had died somewhat ‘peacefully’ and had been surrounded by her family at the age of 40 in June 2022.

Meanwhile her teenagers spoke about how ‘unbelievable’ it’s been to see it grow, with their grandmother Heather taking to Instagram to share her pride. 

Eloise was wearing a poppy dress from her mother’s InTheStyle range, which helped raise money for cancer charities.

‘It was just such a difficult, difficult time,’ he admitted. ‘It’s difficult to articulate how hard it really was.’

Taking to Instagram to commemorate their anniversary, Deborah shared a heartwarming video of them dancing together in the South of France

Taking to Instagram to commemorate their anniversary, Deborah shared a heartwarming video of them dancing together in the South of France

Meanwhile Deborah’s children reflected on their mother’s legacy, of which they remain proud today.

‘It’s just amazing to think…well first of all the legacy that it is,’ Hugo told the programme.

‘And second of all the amount that could be achieved with this 11 million is just, I think beyond what anyone could realise at this point.’

Hugo also said the family still stresses the importance of the ‘rebellious hope’ their mother had always urged everyone to have.

‘It means, regardless of anything, there’s always something that will keep you going,’ he added.    

Deborah told her children to ‘take chances and experience life now’ and to marry for love in a heartbreaking final letter before she died.

The charity fundraiser and podcast star shared her life lessons in her new book How To Live When You Could Be Dead.

‘Take a chance and back yourself. Remember to be your number one cheerleader,’ she told them in a passage from her book.

‘Don’t leave the world and all it has to offer until retirement — experience it now.’ 

One of the things she had learned is that there are many ways to parent, she said, adding that as long as there is love nothing else truly matters.

The bowel cancer campaigner told Sebastien he should go on to find love again - as long as it wasn't with certain people

The bowel cancer campaigner told Sebastien he should go on to find love again – as long as it wasn’t with certain people

Life doesn’t always go according to plan, she said. But life is sometimes more interesting when you go off-piste.

She also told them to buy a dog, writing that it was one of the best decisions she ever made.

Deborah’s wish for Sebastien to find love again 

Deborah gave her husband a list of partners he wasn’t allowed to ‘hook up with’ following her death, it has been revealed.

The bowel cancer campaigner told Sebastien he should go on to find love again – as long as it wasn’t with certain people.

She recorded snippets of her thoughts while she received palliative care for bowel cancer in 2021, which have been shared ahead of a documentary following her journey.

In her words which were published by the BBC, Dame Deborah described her husband as an ‘eligible bachelor’ who would likely attract a lot of female attention in future.

But she revealed there were a few women in their lives who she worried would make a beeline for Sebastien and jokingly made a list of their names so he would avoid getting romantically involved with them.

She said: ‘I had a list of girls that I was like, right, they’re going to pounce on my husband.

‘And so I listed off a couple of names that I said that I would do my damned hardest to come and haunt him if he hooked up with those people, which I thought was absolutely hilarious.’

The campaigner’s thoughts were captured for Deborah James: Bowelbabe in Her Own Words, on BBC Two.

The documentary, which features TikTok clips, voice notes and snippets from her podcast You, Me and The Big C, was filmed in the last few months of her life.

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