Dame Esther Rantzen has died at the age of 86 after a long battle with lung cancer. The TV presenter was first diagnosed with the disease in early January 2023 after a biopsy confirmed she had it, but her first symptom appeared to be a lump in her armpit discovered during the Christmas season in 2022.
Diagnosis and symptoms
A few months after her diagnosis, Dame Esther announced she had stage four cancer, normally considered terminal, and was given medicine to ease her symptoms and keep her comfortable. She said the diagnosis came as a surprise as a non-smoker.
The main symptoms of lung cancer include a persistent cough that does not go away after three weeks, or a long-standing cough that worsens; frequent chest infections that keep returning or do not clear up; coughing up blood or phlegm containing blood; pain or aching in the chest, back, or shoulder when breathing or coughing; persistent breathlessness or getting out of breath during normal daily activities; ongoing fatigue or a general lack of energy; and unexplained weight loss or loss of appetite.
Campaigning and assisted dying
Dame Esther received her damehood for setting up the charity Childline and her tireless campaigning for children and young people. The former That's Life! presenter was a staunch supporter of the legalisation of assisted dying in the UK.
Earlier this year, she said she feared she would "die alone" because she did not want her family to be subjected to a police investigation. She had expressed her intention to end her life at Dignitas, the Swiss assisted suicide facility, when she had six months or less to live. On BBC's Newsnight, she disclosed that she would have to die alone as she could not bring her family with her to Dignitas.
Final months and death
In the end, Dame Esther reported earlier this month that she was too weak to travel to Switzerland to end her life via assisted suicide. She said: "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.
"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."
Her family confirmed her death today (Wednesday, September 30) in a statement, paying tribute to "the most wonderful mother" and "cherished grandmother" who will be remembered for her "endless capacity for joy".
