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for our deb was exactly what the whole reason deb did what she did — was to save lives, to make a difference, and the fact that you were able to do that in that show — and that's just one person you know of in that ambulance. yeah, yeah, exactly, and — but that goes back to just the job you've done and we're all here to blow smoke tonight because... sings: thank you! but... laughter. i the job you've done — i knowjust something's occurred to me which i'd forgotten but a really good friends of mine's wife developed breast cancer cancer, subsequently had a double mastectomy, and ijust put her in touch with rachael. rachael said, "yep" and kind of, rachael personally counselled her. she found the time to do that. do you know what i mean? and so, with that and the public work she did, it's astonishing. do you think all of this has changed the way that you talk about cancer on air now? 0h, massively. i think it's changed the way the whole country talks about cancer — i feel, anyway — because i grew up in a background where, i've just said, nobody said — it was about four hours after my mum died when all the relatives were round
the train, i can't remember. sounds like debs. and this is the god's honest truth, and i've done a lot of pods and there's — a couple of them have been really, really successful — a few of them, actually! — not sorry, but! laughter. al right! but i've sat — i've only ever sat in a studio and known that a podcast was going to be brilliant. i turned to you and ijust — we were four minutes in, i remember looking at the clock, i was like, "we're four minutes in, al. "this is going to be amazing." the rest is history. that was it. well, there's only one way that we could readily wrap this up, and i'll be honest — she didn't always get the outro right. laughter. but there were a couple of occasions that she did, so we're gonna give the last word to our deb. thank you guys for listening. remember, you can contact us on all forms of social media . by using the hashtag #youmebigc. - if you could write a review, leave a rating and spread l the word about this podcast, we'd really appreciate it. - thank you to everybody who has done so far. i goodbye! bye! ijust nailed that!
notjust their lives, by mental health as well, by allowing them to talk about things, so ijust saw rachael grow as a woman and as a mother and as a wife and as a colleague and, you know, she just wasn't here long enough, that's the only thing. that is very... tell us a little bit about the about the day of deborah's funeral injune of last year, if you would. well, vicky, isn't it, yeah? i was speaking to vicky earlier on and we were crying together. so, what it was, i got invited to deb's funeral and ijust thought absolutely long and hard about it because whenever i'd spoken to debs on the radio — and i did the last radio interview with debs, when she was in her garden at home, and i said, "i'm not putting the phone "down" because i thought i didn't want to finalise everything, so we hung on — it was like, "you put "the phone down". "no, you put it down." anyway, so, i was invited to the funeral and i agonised about it and ijust decided not go because i thought, "debs..." if i could say to debs, "should i be at your funeral "with everybody else, or have i got this platform "on the day of the funeral to be able to say to " reiterate her message? "
i always kind of — well, we all did — we told her she needed to rest, but i think we kind of understood, and you guys — and i think at the end of her life that became even more apparently clear that deb's way of surviving and getting through was by doing and having the next thing to focus on and go, go, go. like, i — i mean, deborah achieved more in her last, what was it?, seven weeks... yeah, crazy. ..than most people ever do in their life! i mean, she showed us right up! the best—selling book, clothing line, became a dame, raised a few million. she likes setting the bars for us. sorry, can we talk about the dame? she'sjust kind of said, "there is no way you're "going to beat me on this one". laughter. we've just got to give it to her, really. yeah, i wanted to talk about the damehood because you got to meet prince william, who is your doppelganger. laughter. yeah, apparently! - i don't get it myself but... yeah, you know, as — - what did debs describe him as? "a really good bloke". it was a pretty-
radiating all the good vibes. but i felt, i agonised and felt quite — i'm good on guilt. laughter. whoa! and i felt guilty for ages after not going to that funeral. but especially after speaking to vicky today and that ambulance driver, i feel as though that's what debs would've asked for. it sounds trite... no, no — she would've... she would've — i mean, listen. there was enough of us there wailing like banshees on her behalf. it's what she wanted. she wanted tears, didn't she? she got them, yeah. she got them. but i think what you did for our deb was exactly what the whole reason deb did what she did — was to save lives, to make a difference, and the fact that you were able to do that in that show — and that's just one person you know of in that ambulance. yeah, yeah, exactly, and — but that goes back to just the job you've done and we're all here to blow smoke tonight because... sings: thank you! but... laughter. i the job you've done — i knowjust something's
i it — yeah, i don't kind of feell like there was a point in time. it think itjust kind _ of organically grew over time. why do you think she did — why do you think, you know, a lot of people have cancer, a lot of people use social media. why do you think deb just caught people's imagination and just became such a big story? i think it'sjust her. relentless acceptance of talking about i things so frankly. i think she just did what she wanted. i didn't really listen to anyone l if she got told not to and kind ofjust went about thing her own way, really. . i always kind of — well, we all did — we told her she needed to rest, but i think we kind of understood, and you guys — and i think at the end of her life that became even more apparently clear that deb's way of surviving and getting through was by doing and having the next thing to focus on and go, go, go. like, i — i mean, deborah achieved more in her last, what was it?, seven weeks... yeah, crazy. ..than most people ever do in their life! i mean, she showed us right up! the best—selling book, clothing line, became a dame, raised a few million. she likes setting the bars for us. sorry, can we talk
and i felt, you know, that was very cathartic for rachael, writing that book, i believe. can i ask, because obviously you knew rachael before and during cancer treatment. did you see rachael change in any way once she started the podcast? was there anything you saw in her? she was already a great broadcaster, she became better broadcaster. she was such a natural broadcaster but she — she knew her own mind. so through that podcast, you know, like we're put on earth to do one thing well probably in our lives and we all get remembered for that. she was put on earth to produce that podcast, put you lot together, and save people's lives. notjust their lives, by mental health as well, by allowing them to talk about things, so ijust saw rachael grow as a woman and as a mother and as a wife and as a colleague and, you know, she just wasn't here long enough, that's the only thing. that is very... tell us a little bit about the about the day of deborah's funeral injune of last year, if you would. well, vicky, isn't it, yeah? i was speaking to vicky earlier on and we were crying together. so, what it was, i got invited to deb's funeral and ijust thought absolutely long and hard about it because whenever i'd spoken to debs on the radio
she didn't always get the outro right. laughter. but there were a couple of occasions that she did, so we're gonna give the last word to our deb. thank you guys for listening. remember, you can contact us on all forms of social media . by using the hashtag #youmebigc. - if you could write a review, leave a rating and spread l the word about this podcast, we'd really appreciate it. - thank you to everybody who has done so far. i goodbye! bye! ijust nailed that! in one! sorry, that was really loud. i never do that! ever! cheering and applause. thanks for downloading the you, me and the big c podcast. - don't forget to click subscribe. or get more great podcasts from 5 live at bbc.co.uk/podcasts. cheering and applause. hello again. well, for most of us, it's been a glorious afternoon. plenty of sunshine around, and quite a contrast to yesterday's blanket of cloud
well, vicky, isn't it? i was speaking to vicky earlier on and we were crying together, so, what it was, i got invited to deb's funeral and i thought absolutely long and hard about it because when ever i had spoken to debs on the radio — and i did the last interview with debs in her garden at home. i said i am not putting the phone down so it was like you put the phone down, no, you put it down. anyway, so i was invited to the funeral. and i agonised about it and decided not go, because i thought, if i could say to deb, "should i be at your funeral or have i got this platform to be able to say, to reiterate her message?" i think said on air, "i'm not at the funeral i'm here to tell you to check your poo." vicky, you are coming up later, but she said she was leaving the funeral, heard me on the radio and it was emotional for people at the funeral. subsequently about two or three
the rest is history. that was it. well, there's only one way that we could readily wrap this up, and i'll be honest — she didn't always get the outro right. laughter. but there were a couple of occasions that she did, so we're gonna give the last word to our deb. thank you guys for listening. remember, you can contact us on all forms of social media . by using the hashtag #youmebigc. - if you could write a review, leave a rating and spread l the word about this podcast, we'd really appreciate it. - thank you to everybody who has done so far. i goodbye! bye! ijust nailed that! in one! sorry, that was really loud. i never do that! ever! cheering and applause. thanks for downloading the you, me and the big c podcast. - don't forget to click subscribe. or get more great podcasts from 5 live at bbc.co.uk/podcasts. hello there. this weekend's weather is certainly