Esther Rantzen’s daughter, Rebecca Wilcox, has broken her silence on her mum’s assisted dying revelations. The broadcaster, who is battling stage four lung cancer, has joined Swiss organisation Dignitas which enables people to have an assisted death.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s The Today Podcast podcast, the 83-year-old confessed she’s considering flying to Zurich if her next scan shows her condition isn’t improving. During Tuesday’s installment of Good Morning Britain, her daughter touched on her mother’s plan.
Host Richard Madeley asked: “Did your mother make this decision on her own and then reveal it to the rest of you? Or was it sort of a communal family thing?”
Rebecca replied: “Not talking about this lightly, but I think you have met my mother. I think that you would know she never makes a decision in complete isolation, but she doesn’t care what anyone else thinks!”
Questioning how they’re feeling as a family, Charlotte highlighted how horrible the situation is that they are facing at this time of year. Rebecca continued: “It’s horrific, she always promised us she’d live forever so she’s not usually one to break her promises so we’re a little bit upset about that.”
Rebecca confessed that the family didn’t think Esther would be with them for Christmas after getting her diagnosis in January.
Touching on the assisted dying plan, she added: “I would personally want to ground her plane if she was going to fly to Zurich.
“But, I know that it’s her decision. I just don’t ever want her to go.”
When asked by Richard if she believes her mother is right about considering assisted dying, Rebecca strongly agreed.
She said: “Absolutely! Absolutely, we’re allowed to make decisions about everything in our own lives, we’re allowed to make this decision.
“I know this is constantly said about our pets. I have a very elderly horse that will have to be put down if something happens to him and I’ll be considered inhuman if I didn’t do that.
“Yet, if mum is experiencing such dreadful symptoms and there is no hope, then why shouldn’t she be allowed to make that decision?”
Currently, assisted dying is banned in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.
Speaking to Nick Robinson and Amol Rajan on the podcast, Esther confessed if she were to go to Zurich, it could cause complications.
She said: “It puts my family and friends in a difficult position because they would want to go with me.
“And that means that the police might prosecute them. So we’ve got to do something. At the moment, it’s not really working, is it?”
Good Morning Britain continues weekdays on ITV from 6am.