The daughter of Dame Esther Rantzen, Rebecca Wilcox, shared an update about her mother’s health whilst appearing on Good Morning Britain on July 19.
Rebecca appeared on the programme in a bid to share a plea with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Rebecca is urging Sir Keir to change the law in favour of assisted dying. It was here that she shared heartbreaking information about her TV star mum’s lung cancer battle.
Rebecca appeared emotional as she discussed her plea to the Prime Minister with GMB hosts Rob Rinder and Charlotte Hawkins. She also admitted how difficult it is to discuss the topic, stating that she “can’t talk about it” without being upset.
Dame Esther Rantzen daughter discusses mother’s health
The devoted daughter’s appearance follows Esther’s decision to join the assisted dying clinic Dignitas in Switzerland, due to assisted dying being illegal in the UK.
Rebecca shared her disappointment that Sir Keir’s promise to reverse the law was not mentioned in the King’s speech this week.
We feel like we’re living in an hourglass and the sand is pouring on us.
She confessed that due to the severity of her mother’s illness, she is currently “living from scan to scan”.
A tearful Rebecca detailed: “We feel like we’re living in an hourglass and the sand is pouring on us. There will come a point where our heads are no longer above it, and I really want politicians, MPs, people of this country to realise that we all have a choice in how we live, and I want us to have a choice in how we die.
“This is not about shortening anyone’s life, it’s about shortening their death and making it dignified.”
Rebecca spoke of her mother, stating: “I don’t want her to go through a painful death. I don’t want my memories of her to completely be dissolved by pain and agony in those last few days.”
Rebecca also urged viewers to contact their MP and encourage them to support a “really kind law” that “gives people choice”.
Dame Esther’s daughter became even more tearful when Charlotte told her that her mother “must be very proud”. Charlotte and Rob then rose to offer comfort and hugs to Rebecca, to which she exclaimed: “God, you two are too nice!”
The hosts also extended “all their love” to Dame Esther. Dame Esther first received her diagnosis in 2023. The TV star revealed her lung cancer diagnosis in a statement in January 2023.
Dame Esther Rantzen cancer diagnosis
In May she told the Mirror: “I’m on one of the new medications, and nobody knows if it’s working or not. But I will have a scan fairly soon which will reveal one way or another. My diagnosis of stage 4 lung cancer made me realise how very lucky I’ve been in my life, working with Childline and the Silver Line, and meeting so many fascinating and inspiring people, and especially lucky to have spent 21 years working as producer/presenter of That’s Life!
“I’m not good at regrets. What I treasure most are the fantastic friendships I have made thanks to That’s Life! during the last 50 years, the people I met, and the team who worked so hard, and laughed so hard, together for so long.”
She told The Mirror in January 2023: “In the last few weeks I have discovered that I am suffering from lung cancer which has now spread. At the moment I am undergoing various tests, to assess the best treatment. I have decided not to keep this secret any more because I find it difficult to skulk around various hospitals wearing an unconvincing disguise, and because I would rather you heard the facts from me. As I am sure you will understand, while I am awaiting the results of the tests, I am unable to answer questions. Thanks to the extraordinary skills of the medical profession there are wonderful new treatments, so I am remaining optimistic.”
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