Dame Esther Rantzen fears her kids' memories of her will be ruined as she issues plea

Dame Esther Ranzen has admitted she has fears astir her kids' memories of her if her decease is agelong arsenic she opened up connected Good Morning Britain astir the Assisted Dying Bill

Esther Rantzen spoke connected Good Morning Britain contiguous up of the MPs debating the Assisted Dying measure successful the House of Commons. Esther has joined Dignitas aft a terminal lung crab diagnosis.

Her household could beryllium prosecuted for assisting her death, nether existent UK law, if they question retired to Switzerland with her. Esther has explained her fears implicit her kids' memories of her if she has a agelong death.

Speaking to Good Morning Britain big Paul Brand, she said: "It came retired of maine disclosing I joined Dignitas and volition person to alert to Zurich to person an assisted decease if this crab progresses and starts to marque my beingness unbearable.

"I don’t privation my household to person to witnesser that and I don’t privation that to beryllium the past representation they person of me. So successful a way, it’s much idiosyncratic than immoderate of my different campaigns and I shall person my fingers and toes crossed passim the debate, hoping for a ballot that means aboriginal generations volition person a acold amended instrumentality than we person had to suffer.”

Asked what she would bash if the measure wasn't passed, she quipped: "It’s not the benignant of instrumentality that arsenic a compassionate country, we should person successful place. I volition spell to Dignitas successful Zurich for an assisted decease which I anticipation volition beryllium speedy and benignant and merciful and easy. And then, I shall travel backmost and haunt the members of Parliament that haven’t changed our instrumentality yet."

On today's show, she besides admitted: "What is happening astatine the infinitesimal is compelling radical to person truly agonising deaths. Someone successful agony, with symptom - nary palliative attraction tin easiness - becomes a terribly terribly tragic memory. Overwhelms different happier memories. The instrumentality astatine the infinitesimal is simply a mess, and it's cruel. You'll retrieve that Sir Keir Starmer said to maine that helium hoped I would beryllium capable to spot the debate, but I ne'er thought that was possible."

Esther antecedently insisted she doesn't privation to shorten her life, but lone her death. Speaking previously, Esther revealed: "I accidental I’m not seeking to shorten my life, lone my death. And of people it’s astir choice. We nowadays tin take if and who we marry, if and erstwhile we person children. Surely we person the close to this choice, too.

"It would mean I could look guardant with anticipation and assurance to a bully death. Although realistically I don’t expect a caller instrumentality could beryllium brought in, successful clip for me. But past my occurrence cause has amazed maine before, truthful I accidental it could bash it again!"

Earlier this year, Esther admitted she perpetually thinks astir dying.

"I’m watching the outpouring flowers travel out, thinking: 'This is astir apt my past spring.' When I speech to my grandchildren erstwhile they travel and sojourn me, I’m precise alert these moments are precious," she said backmost successful the spring.

"They whitethorn beryllium the past memories they person of me," she said, "My ain decease is perpetually successful my mind. It would springiness maine truthful overmuch assurance if I could besides cognize that nevertheless the unwellness progresses, immoderate symptom it causes, wherever it strikes maine next, I volition inactive person the choices of a symptom free, dignified backstage decease surrounded by the radical I love."

*Good Morning Britain airs weekdays astatine 6am connected ITV1 and ITVX.