Dame Esther Rantzen 'never thought she'd be here' as she issues heartbreaking plea

Dame Esther Rantzen spoke to the ITV meal amusement Good Morning Britain contiguous up of the MPs' ballot connected the Assisted Dying bill.

Dame Esther Rantzen says she ne'er thought she would beryllium present arsenic MPs statement the Assisted Dying measure today.

The writer and tv presenter is supporting the assisted dying bill, which volition beryllium discussed successful the House of Commons aboriginal today, having joined Dignitas aft a terminal lung crab diagnosis.

Speaking connected Good Morning Britain today, she told big Paul Brand: "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."

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is being discussed by members of Parliament today, which would let immoderate radical to person a medically-assisted death. Under the bill, those who person been fixed a terminal diagnosis and are expected to dice wrong six months could question assistance to extremity their life, with 2 doctors and a High Court justice agreeing they were eligible.

Labour MP Kim Leadbeater is starring the bill, with Dame Esther having antecedently told the MP: "I would overmuch alternatively beryllium capable to dice successful my ain location surrounded by radical who are adjacent to me.

"But that prime won't beryllium unfastened to maine due to the fact that adjacent if we get a 'yes' ballot successful this debate... you can't get done the adjacent signifier successful nether a year. And my occurrence cause is moving jolly hard, but I can't expect it to support maine live for a year."

Dame Esther explained that with the existent laws successful the UK, she would beryllium forced to question to Switzerland alone. She said if her household went on with her, past they would beryllium astatine hazard of being prosecuted for assisting her death.

She had described the existent laws arsenic "terrible" and "cruel" and successful an affectional connection earlier this year, she said she was surviving her "last Spring", explaining however her ain decease was "constantly successful her mind".

"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.

"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.