Deborah Ann "Debbie" Barham (20 November 1976 – 20 April 2003) was an English comedy writer who died at the age of 26 of heart failure brought on as a result of anorexia. As well as writing for TV and radio, Barham wrote columns for newspapers and magazines.

Life

Debbie Barham was born 20 November 1976 in Sheffield, England. She was educated at

Sheffield High School, South Yorkshire Sheffield High School (SHS) is an independent girls' school in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England part of the Girls' Day School Trust (GDST). History In February 1878 a meeting was held at the Cutlers' Hall seeking support for a proposal to s ...

, and was a bright student, but left school early as she was unhappy there. She began her professional writing career aged 15. Barham moved to London aged 16 and was working as a BBC contract writer aged 17. In 1995, Barham developed anorexia nervosa. Her early work was submitted under the name D. A. Barham, out of concern that a teenage girl would not be accepted in a world traditionally dominated by

Oxbridge Oxbridge is a portmanteau of Oxford and Cambridge, the two oldest, wealthiest, and most famous universities in the United Kingdom. The term is used to refer to them collectively, in contrast to other British universities, and more broadly to de ...

-educated men. During her 11-year career she wrote for comedians including Clive Anderson, Rory Bremner,

Angus Deayton Gordon Angus Deayton (; born 6 January 1956) is an English actor, writer, musician, comedian, and broadcaster. He was the original presenter of the satirical panel game '' Have I Got News for You,'' the host of British panel show '' Would I Lie ...

, Bob Monkhouse and Graham Norton, and for BBC programmes including '' The News Huddlines'', '' The News Quiz'', '' Loose Ends'' and '' Week Ending''. Though little known by the general public, she was greatly respected in the profession, and had a reputation for mental quickness, her writing being not only of high quality but also fast and prolific, even during her illness. She wrote a column for '' Computeractive'' magazine for the few years prior to her death. The radio show '' About a Dog'' was based on her last comedy proposal.

Bibliography

* Peter Barham & Alan Hurndall (2006) ''The Invisible Girl: A Father's Moving Story of the Daughter He Lost'' Harper Element

References

English comedy writers Writers from Sheffield 1976 births 2003 deaths Deaths from anorexia nervosa People educated at Sheffield High School, South Yorkshire {{UK-writer-stub