Esther Rantzen’s daughter relives mum's farewell as she discusses assisted dying
Esther Rantzen’s daughter, Rebecca Wilcox, has recalled her mum's painful farewell address and said she's furious at the outcome of the UK’s assisted dying bill. Dame Esther, the long-running host of That's Life! and founder of Childline, died on September 30, aged 86, after a battle with lung cancer.
TL;DR
- Rebecca Wilcox, daughter of the late Dame Esther Rantzen, discussed her mother's final moments and her advocacy for assisted dying.
- Dame Esther died at 86 from lung cancer and had joined an assisted dying clinic but was unable to travel.
- Wilcox is furious that the UK's assisted dying bill failed to pass, calling it a "vandalism of democracy".
- Esther Rantzen's final note expressed regret that the law did not allow her to request assistance to die when her life became unbearable.
- Wilcox described grief as "awful" and cancer as "evil", reflecting on her mother's passing and the importance of a private funeral for the grandchildren.