Kate Moss reveals final birthday message to David Bowie as she promotes eight-part podcast on his legacy

Kate Moss has revealed the final birthday message she sent to David Bowie as the pop icon battled a private illness that would ultimately end his life. Bowie died in January 2016 at the New York City apartment he shared with his wife, Iman, and their daughter Lexi, about 18 months after he was diagnosed with liver cancer. He chose not to publicly disclose the illness and continued to work, releasing the album Blackstar just two days before his death on what would have been his 69th birthday. The moment Moss described comes as she takes a leading role in a new eight-part podcast series that revisits Bowie's life, work and wider cultural impact through the project David Bowie: Changeling.

Speaking on BBC Radio 6 Music with Nick Grimshaw, Moss explained that the last message she sent Bowie was a birthday greeting accompanied by a homemade video. “The last message I sent him was his birthday message and I sent him a film of me with a big piece of paper saying ‘Happy Birthday D’ and I sat on a stool, and I sang Mr Bojangles, and I sent it to him,” she said. She added that the moment arrived just before she headed to bed and that Bowie’s passing followed shortly after the delivery of the message. “It was delivered, and then I was going to bed and [he] died,” Moss recalled, noting she later spoke with Noel Gallagher, who acknowledged the news with a knowing response.

The eight-episode series, Moss said, will spotlight Bowie's lasting cultural influence in music and fashion. It weaves rare and unheard archive interviews with Bowie's own words and contributions from those who knew him or were inspired by him. Among the participants are Boy George, Chrissie Hynde, Dave Gahan, Edward Enninful, Elton John, Goldie, Iggy Pop, Harris Reed, Robbie Williams and Twiggy. Moss described Bowie as “a very special person” and someone who was “much more than a friend—an enigma.” She added that the project offers a chance to explore a transformative period in Bowie's life as he navigated his alter egos, visual experimentation and musical innovation.

Key material in the program includes a 2001 interview with the podcast’s creator, Des Shaw, alongside recently unearthed BBC archive. The episodes trace Bowie's early performances with The Hype, his fascination with artist Andy Warhol, and the creation of landmark works such as The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. The project situates Bowie's artistry within a broader cultural conversation, highlighting how he influenced fashion, album presentation and public perception over the course of a career that spanned four decades. Moss emphasized that the podcast is a tribute to a friend whose influence remains visible in contemporary music and style, underscoring her aim to help new audiences understand Bowie's evolution and enduring appeal.

Beyond the archival and interview material, the series nods to the intimate, human moments of Bowie’s life. Moss recalled not only sharing a close friendship with him but also watching him operate as a performer who could be both elusive and magnetic. Her own experiences with Bowie's wardrobe—ranging from wearing his Kansai Yamamoto jumpsuit to accepting an award at the BRIT Awards in 2014 to the earlier challenge of fitting into his outfits after giving birth to her daughter Lila—are used to illustrate how deeply his art and persona permeated everyday life. By weaving these anecdotes with higher-profile conversations, Changeling seeks to illuminate Bowie's creative methods and persona while honoring the personal bonds that surrounded him.

David Bowie: Changeling arrives at a moment when Bowie's legacy continues to resonate across generations. The series aims to present Bowie's life as a living conversation, inviting listeners to hear from friends, collaborators and fans who were inspired by his willingness to reinvent himself and push boundaries in music, fashion and performance. Moss described the project as a celebration of a friend and a true British icon, noting that it reflects both Bowie's artistry and the personal connections that shaped his work. The podcast is available now on BBC Sounds, inviting listeners to explore a five-year chapter of Bowie's life through written, spoken and sonic history. The release aligns with ongoing public interest in Bowie's catalog, fashion influence and the enduring cultural conversations his career sparked, from stage to street to screen.

The Changeling project also situates Moss within Bowie's ongoing cultural map, underscoring how fashion figures, music critics and designers continue to reference and reinterpret his legacy. In addition to Moss’ narration and curation, the series includes new interviews from contemporary artists and fashion visionaries who found inspiration in Bowie’s fearless approach to identity and art. The collaboration reflects Bowie's own editorial stance as a curator of change, a theme that Moss described as central to her understanding of him as a friend and artist. As Changeling invites audiences to revisit Bowie's career through fresh voices, it also reinforces the idea that his work remains a living force in music, fashion and culture today.