Broadcaster and campaigner Dame Esther Rantzen has died at the age of 86, her family said in a statement. They paid tribute to the “most wonderful mother” and “cherished grandmother” who will be remembered for her “endless capacity for joy”.
Terminal cancer diagnosis
The Childline founder, who was terminally ill with cancer, first revealed in December 2023 that she had joined the Dignitas clinic. She announced she had joined Dignitas about a year after being diagnosed with stage four lung cancer.
“Unfortunately, when I was strong enough to make the flight and go to Dignitas, my life was not unbearably painful, indeed I was able to relax in my beloved cottage in the New Forest,” she said.
Last chance
“And by the time life did become unbearable, I was too physically fragile to make the journey and go through the Dignitas process.”
“So even though I had spent the money and made the plans, I was not ready to end my life back then, and did not realise that would be my last chance.”
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