Deborah James has warned her husband not to "marry a bimbo" but says she wants him to move on, as she gave a final interview after starting end-of-life care for bowel cancer.
The podcast host has raised more than £3 million for cancer charities in just three days after revealing that she had halted active treatment.
Discussing her husband in an interview with The Times, Ms James said: "I have given him strict instructions: I want him to move on. He’s a handsome man. I’m like, 'Don’t be taken for a ride, don’t marry a bimbo, find someone else who can make you laugh like we did.'"
Ms James, a former deputy headmistress, has been married to Sebastian Bowen, a City banker, since 2008. The couple have two children together.
She said they were both working flat-out and would occasionally bicker when she was first diagnosed, but they had since become inseparable.
"I don’t think I have ever seen my husband so emotional; but now he has suddenly realised the enormity of this," she said.
The tweet I never wanted to write. The time has come to say goodbye. 5 years to prepare, doesn’t make it any easy. I’m under hospice at home care, & I’m spending my time surrounded by my family. Please buy me a 🍷 to see me out and raise vitial funds. https://t.co/AztN5FziLR ❤️
— Deborah James (@bowelbabe) May 9, 2022
Ms James added that she had ended up in intensive care in January "as a result of the huge pressure round my liver from the cancer".
"Treatment is now fruitless because my body can’t tolerate anything. As devastating as it is, there is almost a sense of release in knowing there is nothing more I can do. My cancer is now just taking over my body," she said.
She added that she would spend the remainder of her life in her parents’ home in Woking and would not return to her home in Barnes, south London.
"I tried, but I can’t use my legs any more and I’m incredibly weak, so I can’t get up or down and my husband must lift me for everything," she said.
"My house is a townhouse with lots of stairs. My parents live in a bungalow with a garden. I just want to sit for my last moments on the lawn with my family around me."
The broadcaster, best known for the award-winning 'You, Me And The Big C', started fundraising on Monday when she announced she was entering hospice care at home.
She had originally hoped to raise £250,000, but her page on the fundraising website JustGiving surged past £1.5 million in donations by Tuesday evening - smashing her target by more than 600 per cent.
Ms James, who was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2015, said it was "still shocking" after years of treatment to know she was going to die.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on Wednesday revealed that they were among the thousands who have donated to Ms James's cause.
The couple tweeted: "Every now and then, someone captures the heart of the nation with their zest for life and tenacious desire to give back to society. @bowelbabe is one of those special people. Her tireless efforts to raise awareness of bowel cancer and end the stigma of treatment are inspiring.
"We are so sad to hear her recent update but pleased to support the @bowelbabef (Bowelbabe Fund) which will benefit the @royalmarsdenNHS among others. Deborah, our thoughts are with you, your family and your friends. Thank you for giving hope to so many who are living with cancer. W & C."
Prince William is patron of the Royal Marsden Hospital in Chelsea, London, which is among the institutions which will benefit from Ms James' fundraising.
