Sébastien Bowen is the husband of the late Dame Deborah James, who died of bowel cancer in June 2022.
The loving husband, 43, has been thrust into the limelight after his wife, known as Bowl Babe, began campaigning and raising money to raise awareness for bowel cancer after receiving his own terminal diagnosis.
Deborah, who was a former deputy director, presented the You, Me & the Big C podcast for BBC Radio 5 Live and raised over £11million for cancer research.
Her husband, Sebastien, is a London banker who currently works for Pomona Capital, which 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 died of bowel cancer last year
He attended St Paul’s School in London and received his master’s degree from the University of Edinburgh.
How did Déborah and Sébastien meet?
It’s unclear how the pair met, but Deborah revealed she’s loved them since 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 assistant manager and never let her wrap him around her little finger.
She still thought he was still the most attractive man in the room 18 years later, she said.
How long have Deborah and Sébastien been 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 this means in an uncertain future can be too much.
‘So it’s the closing of the new day. A new day that you are grateful to see. A new day in which you did not think you would feel good.
“And you dance. While your children are laughing and filming. The sun goes down and you realize how wonderful it is to reach another milestone (and you park the sadness).
The loving husband, 43, was in the limelight after his wife, known as Bowl Babe, started campaigning and raising money to raise awareness for bowel cancer after her own terminal diagnosis .
Sébastien and Déborah have two children Hugo and Eloïse. He appeared on BBC Breakfast with his children and praised his wife’s legacy
Deborah, who was a former deputy director, presented the You, Me & the Big C podcast for BBC Radio 5 Live and raised over £11million for cancer research.
“And you smile. And you are one in the moment. Because for each of us, that’s all we have anyway.
“And thank you for having people in your life who are the backbone that you stand on.
‘Sebastien – Thank you for holding my hand in the dark and leading me back into the light. I like you. Always.’
Do Déborah and Sébastien have children?
Sébastien and Déborah have two children Hugo, born in 2008, and Eloïse, born in 2010.
He appeared on BBC Breakfast with his children Hugo and Eloise and praised his wife’s legacy as his fundraising total of over £11million was announced, adding they were sticking to his mantra to have “rebellious hope”.
He revealed to the program that his wife passed away somewhat “peacefully” and was surrounded by family at the age of 40 in June 2022.
Meanwhile, his teenagers have opened up about how “amazing” it was to watch him grow up, with their grandmother Heather taking to Instagram to share her pride.
Eloise wore a poppy dress from her mother’s InTheStyle range, which has helped raise money for cancer charities.
“It was just such a difficult time,” he admitted. “It’s hard to express how difficult it really was.”
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, which they remain proud of today.
“It’s just amazing to think… well, first of all, the legacy that it is,” Hugo told the program.
“And second, the amount that could be achieved with that 11 million is just, I think, beyond what anyone could realize at this point.”
Hugo also said the family always insisted on the importance of the “rebellious hope” that their mother had always urged everyone to have.
“That means no matter what, there’s always something that will keep you going,” he added.
Deborah told her children to ‘take a chance and live life now’ and 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.
“Try your luck and step back. Remember to be your number one cheerleader,’ she told them in a passage in her book.
“Don’t leave the world and all it has to offer until retirement – experience it now.”
One of the things she has learned is that there are many ways to be a parent, she said, adding that as long as there is love, nothing else matters. really matters.
The bowel cancer activist told Sebastien he should keep finding love – as long as it wasn’t with certain people
Life doesn’t always go as planned, she says. But sometimes life is more interesting when you go off-road.
She also told them to buy a dog, writing that it was one of the best decisions she’s ever made.
Deborah’s wish for Sébastien to find love again
Deborah gave her husband a list of partners he was not allowed to ‘connect’ with after her death, it has been revealed.
The bowel cancer activist told Sebastien he should keep finding love – as long as it wasn’t with certain people.
She recorded snippets of her thoughts while receiving palliative care for bowel cancer in 2021, which were shared ahead of a documentary following her trip.
In her words which were published by the BBC, Dame Deborah described her husband as an “eligible bachelor” who would likely attract plenty of female attention in the future.
But she revealed that there were a few women in their lives who she feared would run up to Sebastien and jokingly made a list of their names so he would avoid having a romantic relationship with them.
She said: ‘I had a list of girls who looked like me, okay, they’re going to pounce on my husband.
“And so I listed a few names that I said I would do my best to come and haunt him if he was dating these people, which I thought was absolutely hilarious.”
The activist’s thoughts were captured for Deborah James: Bowelbabe in Her Own Words, on BBC Two.
The documentary, which features TikTok clips, voice notes and excerpts from his You, Me and The Big C podcast, was filmed during the last months of his life.