Dame Esther Rantzen has revealed she may travel to Dignitas should the pain from her lung cancer become "unbearable". The 85-year-old broadcaster has campaigned vigorously for assisted dying legislation since receiving a terminal diagnosis in 2023, and has now disclosed she is considering ending her life at the Swiss facility if her suffering intensifies. She also criticised the House of Lords for stalling progress on the assisted dying bill.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror newspaper, Esther said: "I am still planning to go alone to Dignitas if my life becomes unbearable. Even if the new Bill became Law, it could not apply to me because I am rapidly running out of time. But I really feel our lawmakers will be letting down generations of terminally ill patients in the future if they fail to reform the current cruel, messy, criminal law." The Terminally ill adults (End of Life) bill received approval from the House of Commons last June but has faced substantial delays in the Lords, where parliamentarians have submitted over 1,000 amendments.

The legislation risks failing entirely unless it receives Royal Assent before the King's Speech in May – though campaign organisation Dying in Dignity has launched a petition urging the Government to allocate sufficient time to honour the public's wishes.

Esther added: "I wish this petition every success, and I hope the House of Lords are paying attention to it."

The founder of Childline expressed her frustration, stating: "I am profoundly disappointed by the filibustering and unashamed sabotage going on in the House of Lords to block the Bill.

"They have no interest in improving the Law, which is their democratic duty. A handful of them simply want to block the Bill for their own personal reasons, and sadly, it looks as if they will succeed."

Rantzen's daughter, Rebecca Wilcox, clarified that the family didn't engage in the assisted dying debate for the benefit of the former That's Life! presenter.

The 46-year-old presenter elaborated: "Mum has the privilege, if that's the word, to be able to go to Dignitas and so many people don't.

"I know from watching dad die, and I know from friends of mine who have died during this campaign that the fear of death and the after effects of my family that witnessed it are indelible, long-lasting, traumatic and avoidable. That's the worst bit. It's all avoidable."