- Dale had been battling incurable synovial sarcoma of the left lung since 2021
Steph’s Packed Lunch star Dale Bowes has died after a battle with terminal cancer.
Dale appeared as a Lunchmate on the daytime Channel 4 TV show in 2023.
The 28-year-old had been battling incurable synovial sarcoma of the left lung since 2021 and had undergone surgery, chemotherapy and a t-cell clinical trial in order to manage it.
Dale was a Geography graduate from York St John University and an aspiring teacher who was part of the ‘West Yorkshire Paranormal investigators team.
Steph McGovern, host of Steph’s Packed Lunch took to ‘X’, formerly known as Twitter today and said: ‘Gutted to hear that @MrDaleBowes has died.
‘Dale was one of our fabulous lunchmates who always brought so much wisdom and joy to the show, even in the middle of his brutal cancer treatment’.
Talk TV’s Gavin Wilson paid tribute to Dale and shared a picture of the pair together.
Mr Wilson said: ‘RIP Dale!! A much loved Lunchmate of our @StephLunch @PackedLunchC4 family!’
A GoFundMe page was set up to raise money for Dale, who was transferred to St Gemma’s Hospice for end of life care on March 25, 2024.
The page reads: ‘Dale aspired to become a Geography Teacher and to help others battling serious illnesses through social media and appearances on Steph’s Packed Lunch.
‘Dale’s journey of life has been a fight from the start. Growing up, Dale was a happy, lively and extroverted child who loved to play pranks and take leadership roles within his friend groups.
‘Dale has always been inquisitive and had a passion for learning new things in great detail.’
Dale has been described as an ‘intelligent, caring and loving’ young man who had a passion for education.
As Dale prepared for his first teaching placement in 2021, he went to A&E with what he thought was a bad chest infection.
But after having a scan, Dale was told he had a mass in his left lung which needed to be drained, marking the start of his cancer battle.
In March 2023, Dale spoke candidly on Steph’s Packed Lunch about his cancer battle and expressed his support for assisted dying.
Speaking at the time he said: ‘I’ve been battling it (cancer) for one-and-a-half years now and I’ve been told current treatments will not cure it.
He went on: ‘There is a trial which I’m waiting for which could help me, but at the moment, if I deteriorate into a situation where I’m suffering and I’ve seen family and friends who have had cancer and have really suffered, I think it should be the decision of the person going through that, as long as of course they can make that decision themselves and medical professionals can review it as well.
‘I haven’t talked (to family) but it is something that went through my mind yesterday and I just thought if I was in this situation what would I want? And I don’t think many people would want to suffer for so long when there’s no chance of getting better.’
Dale’s last Instagram post was on March 10 in which he shared his support with Ukraine amid their ongoing conflict with Russia.
He posted: ‘It might seem like a lot of people have forgotten about Ukraine but my Discord community, Wubblecord, which I own hasn’t forgotten.
‘With daily news, and also other chat areas which aren’t consumed by war, we are a really open and inclusive community aimed at grown adults of all nationalities’.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
