Dame Esther Rantzen, the 85-year-old broadcaster and campaigner, has arranged to celebrate Christmas early with her family this year, fearing she may not survive until December 25. The founder of Childline and The Silver Line has been living with incurable stage 4 lung cancer since January 2023.
In an interview with The Times, Dame Esther revealed that she is no longer receiving treatment after her doctor decided the side effects outweighed the benefits. She said: 'Right now I am not receiving any treatment... the cancers are progressing but, according to my most recent scan, very slowly.' She also described experiencing 'scanxiety' — heightened anxiety before each scan.
Dame Esther, who has three children and five grandchildren, said she did not expect to survive to another Christmas after her diagnosis. 'When I was diagnosed... I did not expect to last until the next Christmas, so the fact that I am still here and looking forward to this one is a wonderful surprise,' she said. Her daughter Rebecca will decorate her home with traditional baubles and tinsel for the early celebration.
Despite her health challenges, Dame Esther continues to campaign for the legalisation of assisted dying. The Assisted Dying Bill was approved by MPs in June and is now before the House of Lords. She said her fight has given her and other terminally ill people renewed hope.
Looking ahead, she has ordered tulip bulbs for spring and a turkey for the family Christmas. 'If I am still around for the real Christmas Day and new year, I look forward to relaxing, quiet days at home, spiced up with plenty of exuberant Zoom and phone calls,' she added.
