Lorraine Kelly and Dame Deborah James launched the “No Butts” campaign in 2021 as the ITV daytime show celebrated its return.
Dame Deborah, who set up the Bowelbabe cancer research fund, died last year at the age of 40 after suffering from bowel cancer.
In honour of the late campaigner, the return of Dame Deborah’s No Butts campaign for a third year was announced on ITV’s Lorraine on Monday.
The 63-year-old reacted to viewers who were admittedly left in tears after announcing the big news with the broadcaster admitting she struggled to hold herself together.
Taking to Twitter today, the ITV favourite reacted to a viewer, who tweeted: “I had just put my mascara on and then I watched Dame Deborah’s mum dancing. I’m roaring. It was so beautiful.”
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Lorraine told her 740,000 followers: “I barely held it together – it was lovely.”
Social media users also agreed with Camilla writing: “It was utterly beautiful and had to dab my eyes.”
Mari commented: “It was so moving Lorraine, I had a wee tear in my eye, great campaign well done to you all.”
Laura tweeted: “Absolutely wonderful tribute to beautiful Dame Deborah, so moving.”
The initiative, which was first spearheaded by Dame Deborah and Lorraine in 2021, aims to raise awareness of bowel cancer and the symptoms of the disease in support of Bowel Cancer Awareness Month.
During Monday’s episode, Strictly Come Dancing judge Anton Du Beke surprised Dame Deborah’s mother, Heather James, with a special dance to honour her daughter.
The show also ended with a “Dance for Debs”, which saw presenters Dr Amir Khan, Dr Anisha Patel, Dr Hilary Jones, Ria Hebden, Mark Heyes and Claer Barrett, as well as Strictly stars Dianne Buswell and Tyler West, dance in Dame Deborah’s memory.
Alongside Ms James, Dame Deborah’s sister Sarah Wieczorek also honoured her sibling’s lasting legacy.
Ms James said: “I think she’d love it, how great that No Butts is back again.
“Bittersweet because I was here last year with Deborah watching on the TV because she was too poorly, and I said to her, ‘You’ll do it next year’ but that wasn’t to be.”
Ms Wieczorek said: “I miss her sparkle, whatever you did with her, whether it was going for a run, a takeout on a Friday night, a movie, getting the paddling pool out, friends over for dinner, there was always a sparkle she added to it. The ability to make the normal a little bit different.
“People often come up to me and say, ‘It must be really hard to talk about it’, but it’s kind of been like therapy.”
Lorraine’s No Butts campaign will continue throughout the week from 9am on ITV1 and ITVX.
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