Dame Esther Rantzen has shared an emotional health update as she continues to battle stage 4 lung cancer, making a rare public appearance just a day after her 85th birthday.
The legendary broadcaster, who was first diagnosed in 2023, phoned into Loose Women on June 23 to talk about her ongoing treatment and her support for the Assisted Dying Bill, which has now passed through parliament.
Esther revealed that a previously effective targeted cancer drug has now stopped working. “It gave me an extra couple of years I didn’t expect,” she said. But sadly, the treatment is no longer effective, and she’s set to begin another round of chemotherapy this week.
Despite the tough journey, Esther marked her birthday surrounded by family — though she admitted that fatigue, an unexpected side effect of her illness, forced her to take multiple breaks throughout the day. “It just stops you in your tracks,” she explained.
Speaking about the newly passed Assisted Dying Bill, Esther clarified she wouldn’t yet be eligible under the law, as doctors have not confirmed she has less than six months to live. “Nobody knows. I haven’t been given that six-month deadline,” she said. “I’ll have a scan after chemo to see if it’s spreading or still being held back.”
Esther’s appearance on Loose Women was her first in over a year, offering fans a moving and rare glimpse into her strength and honesty as she navigates life with a terminal diagnosis.
