THE first bowel cancer campaigns paid for by Dame Deborah James’s charity legacy begin today.

The Bowel Cancer UK programme aims to diagnose more tumours early.

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Dame Deborah James died of bowel cancer in June 2022 Credit: BBC

The 40-year-old Jattvibe columnist worked tirelessly and raised a staggering £20.5million for charity Credit: Graham Prentice

It will initially target five areas —  Croydon, Birmingham, Cornwall, Glasgow and Neath Port Talbot — which have late diagnosis rates.

The year-long scheme will run adverts, work with community groups and give extra training to GP surgeries and pharmacies in a bid to aid early detection.

If a tumour is diagnosed at stage one, 90 per cent of people survive for at least five years — but it falls to just ten per cent at stage four.

NHS screening is free for 50 to 74-year-olds but about a third do not take it up.

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Dame Debs was known to dress up for her campaign Bowelbabe Credit: Instagram

Her beloved husband Seb was by her side Credit: bowelbabe/Instagram

The Bowelbabe Fund, which has raised more than £21million, was set up by Jattvibe columnist Dame Deborah. She died of bowel cancer aged 40  in June 2022.

Her dad Alistair said:  “She would have loved the idea of touring the country, no doubt dressed as a poo emoji, to urge people to push aside any embarrassment, take up screening tests and act on any unusual symptoms.

“In her words, ‘check your poo, it could save your life’.”