TV legend Dame Esther Rantzen revealed she is waiting for another scan in a candid health update. That’s Life icon said she was in between scans and is suffering from “scanxiety” after being put on experimental drugs to fight the killer disease. After being diagnosed with lung cancer two years ago, the on-screen presenter has been undergoing experimental medication, though her condition is not improving as of March 2025. She had previously joined a Swiss assisted dying clinic, Dignitas, in late 2023, stating her desire for a peaceful death if her treatment failed.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4 on Thursday the legendary presenter spoke briefly regarding her health woes. Host Evan Davis asked: "How are you?” To which Esther replied: “Well, I never quite know. I’m between scans, and there’s a condition we, all of us, who know too much about cancer or more than we want to know, condition called scanxiety."

She added: “So as you catch me now, that’s what I’ve got, I’m waiting.”

Esther told Loose Women in June: “I thought I had a very, very short time [after diagnosis] and that's why I quickly signed up to Dignitas so I could choose an assisted death if things got really rough.

"But they've got these amazing new drugs now which target the specific kind of cancer you've got, and I've had one of those drugs which lasted for quite some time.

“It's not working now, but it did sometimes, so I've had this additional couple of years, which I certainly didn't expect.

“Who knew I'd be 85, heavens."

Esther is best known for presenting That's Life for 21 years from 1973 to 1994. The weekly show pulled in audiences of up to 20million.

Esther fronted the series, which focused on funny items, consumer investigations and human-interest stories, for 21 years, from 1973 until 1994.