Dame Esther Rantzen is fighting for new laws around assisted dying so her children don't have to see her suffer.
Dame Esther Rantzen is fighting to change the law so her children don't see her suffer
The 83-year-old broadcaster - who has Miriam, 46, Rebecca, 44, and 42-year-old Joshua with late husband Desmond Wilcox- was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer last year and launched a petition in January with the Dignity in Dying charity to demand a debate and a free vote by MPs on assisted dying.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer told Dame Esther that he was "personally committed" to changing the laws surrounding assisted dying ahead of the next election and now her daughter Rebecca has thanked him for his words as she revealed that her mother is so passionate about the cause because of the way in which her children saw their father suffer more than 20 years ago.
Speaking on ITV's 'Lorraine', she said: "Mum is extraordinary, I know I'm biased but I can't imagine being 82 and doing this campaign let alone having Stage 4 lung cancer and everything that goes with that, the stress and the symptoms. I mean, Al Pacino at 83 couldn't read out 10 movies and mum's trying to change the law! So I'm very grateful to Sir Keir for making that commitment, I just need it to happen now.
"She knows so clearly that our wonderful father - who was insanely brilliant as a dad and broadcaster himself - that all our memories of him were completely replaced by those final hours. I couldn't tell you the last time I saw him, but I can describe to you his death, moment by moment but I can't remember the last time we had a hug or a conversation. And this was the year 2000, so it was a long, long time ago."
Esther - who presented the BBC's 'That’s Life!' for 21 years - previously revealed she had joined Swiss euthanasia group Dignitas, which claims to offer a dignified death to terminally ill people, as a precautionary measure "if the law does not change in time".
Assisting someone to die is illegal and prohibited by the Suicide Act 1961 and carries a 14-year jail term.