James’s last appearance on BBC Radio 5 Live was last May, alongside friend and presenter Tony Livesey. <\/p>
Deborah James\u2019s final goodbye on BBC Radio 5 Live has been named the Radio Times Moment of the Year at this year\u2019s Aria Awards<\/a>, which took place on Tuesday 2nd May.<\/p>\n The emotional on-air conversation was the final time James appeared on the radio station shortly before her death last May. In her goodbye, she appeared alongside her friend and BBC presenter Tony Livesey.<\/p>\n The annual UK radio industry\u2019s awards honour the rising stars of radio and celebrate the biggest moment of the year, as chosen by the public.<\/p> The 2022 award was won by Adele Roberts, who returned to Radio 1 after receiving treatment for bowel cancer and used her platform to encourage listeners to get themselves checked.<\/p>\n This year\u2019s awards had the likes of the Today Programme\u2019s coverage of Boris Johnson\u2019s resignation, Kate Moss on Desert Island Discs, and Brenda Edwards singing to her late son Jamal on his birthday on BBC Three Counties Radio.<\/p>\n The 2023 moment of the year was named as James\u2019s, which saw Livesey refuse to say goodbye to his friend and instead thank her. He added: \u201cAnd there\u2019s a big warm hug if we could all get together.\u201d<\/p>\n James then said in the emotional farewell: \u201cI think it goes without saying in reverse but, you know, thank you for all that 5 Live did for me. They, you know, welcomed me, a total and utter stranger five years ago onto the airwaves through our podcast.\u201d<\/p>\n James then went on to thank the listeners, saying: \u201cThank you for coming on this crazy journey with us.\u201d<\/p>\n Read more:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n The You, Me and the Big C podcaster also set up the Bowelbabe cancer research fund but passed away last year aged 40. As of today, her fund has raised more than \u00a311 million for research into the disease.<\/p>\n Ahead of the release of BBC documentary Deborah James: Bowelbabe in Her Own Words<\/a>, Livesey told Radio Times magazine<\/strong> last month<\/a> that ending that call was one of the hardest things he had ever had to do.<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t put the phone down as I knew it would be the last time I would speak to her,\u201d he said. \u201cWe were like young kids on a date \u2013 \u2018You put it down,\u2019 \u2018No you put it down.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cIn the end she put the phone down. And that was the last time I ever spoke to her.\u201d<\/p>