By Sara Baalla

Copyright dailyrecord

Lorraine Kelly honoured her late co-star after their tragic death, saying, “We miss her every day”. During Thursday’s (October 9) episode of her popular ITV show, Lorraine spoke to Dr Hilary Jones about gut health, where the doctor explained how sweetcorn can be used as a test for the digestive system. In the midst of discussing the importance of maintaining a healthy gut, Lorraine took a moment to remember her former co-star Dame Deborah James , who sadly passed away in 2022 after being diagnosed with bowel cancer. “On this show, you know Dame Deborah, who we miss every single day, she was always going on about [gut health]. She was always going on about, ‘Don’t be daft about this. Everyone does it, nobody cares,'” Lorraine said. “We shouldn’t be embarrassed about talking about our guts,” Dr Hilary added, reports the Express . “And actually, it’s a really good indicator of how you’re doing generally,” Lorraine shared. Dr Hilary then advised: “It is, and it’s important to eat plenty of fibre. Get the healthy foods for antioxidants, for nutrients. Most of us eat about 18 grams of fibre, it should be about 30 grams every day. “So, we need to increase the amount of plant produce that we enjoy. Going onto immunity, 80 percent of our immunity is seated in our gut, and not many people know that.” The star continued to explain the difference between healthy bacteria and the “bad” bacteria that causes illnesses, while encouraging viewers to maintain a balanced diet for a healthy gut. “We’ve always talked about having your five a day, which is all very well, but they shouldn’t be the same five every day,” he concluded. Dame Deborah, also known as Bowelbabe, tragically passed away in June 2022 at the age of 40 after a five-year battle with stage four bowel cancer. She managed to raise an impressive sum of over £11 million for cancer research and played a pivotal role in normalising discussions about the disease through her popular BBC podcast, You, Me and the Big C. Lorraine worked closely with the inspirational star on the No Butts campaign, a bowel cancer awareness initiative that was initially launched by Dame Deborah in 2021. After attending Dame Deborah’s funeral, Lorraine took to Instagram to express her feelings, saying: “I miss you – you fabulous, funny, passionate force of nature.” Lorraine airs weekdays on ITV1 at 9am If you would like more information or support about living with cancer or treatment, visit Macmillan Cancer Support or Stand Up to Cancer