Esther Rantzen left message supporting assisted dying campaign

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 20 Oct, 00:19 · Archive

Dame Esther Rantzen's family has disclosed a message she wrote before her death expressing her wish that the law on assisted dying had changed in time for her.

Dame Esther Rantzen, the Childline founder and That's Life! presenter, died last month at her home in the New Forest aged 86 after a three-year battle with stage four lung cancer. Her family has now disclosed a message she wrote before her death in which she said she felt 'deprived of any choice over my own death'.

In the note, which her family shared as they announced a small private funeral had taken place last week, Rantzen encouraged campaigners to 'battle on' in their efforts to change the law on assisted dying, pledging to 'do everything I can from here to help you'. She had become a vocal advocate for the right to assisted dying in her final years, in response to her own diagnosis.

Rebecca Wilcox, Rantzen's daughter, described the funeral as 'incredibly beautiful' and said the family had been comforted by sympathy messages from around the world. A larger memorial service is planned for a later date, with further details to be announced. MPs rejected an assisted dying bill in September, shortly before Rantzen's death.

How it is being reported

• I'll fight for assisted dying from beyond the grave, Esther Rantzen said in final noteThe family of the philanthropist and broadcaster shared her emotional message in an announcement of her being laid to rest in an 'incredibly beautiful' funeral.Daily Mail · 20 Oct, 00:03
• Esther Rantzen said she was ‘deprived of any choice’ over her own death in message written before she diedThe 86-year-old’s family has confirmed they attended a small, private funeral last week, following her death last monthThe Independent · 20 Oct, 00:01

In this story: Esther Rantzen · Childline · New Forest · Rebecca Wilcox

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