Rebecca Wilcox, daughter of TV icon Dame Esther Rantzen, was on the Loose Women panel on Tuesday and opened up about the assisted dying bill and her mum's health
Rebecca Wilcox, daughter of Dame Esther Rantzen, appeared on ITV’s Loose Women this Tuesday (6 May), joining panelists Charlene White, Brenda Edwards, Janet Street Porter, and Jane Moore. On the popular daytime program, Rebecca discussed the topic of the assisted dying bill and shared insights into her role caring for her terminally ill mother.
But responding to host Charlene's question about Esther's condition, Rebecca emphasised her mother’s wish for privacy, saying that Esther likes to keep things "private". Sharing with the panel, she confided: "So, I get in trouble because I'm overly honest.
"I share everything. I will tell you absolutely everything about how I am, down to my latest bowel movement, should you so wish," adding a touch of her characteristic candour. Rebecca then explained: "So, I mustn't tell you what she's up to because she's private, as she should be.
"What she has said to me to say is she loves you, she sends her love, and she's coping," reports the Express. The panel and viewers were moved when Charlene from the studio returned Esther's message with thanks.
Esther was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in 2023, with the disheartening news coming out earlier this year that her treatments were no longer working. A vocal advocate for the assisted dying bill in the UK, Rebecca openly supports it along with Esther.
In December, Belfast Live reported that Esther had taken the step of registering with Dignitas in Switzerland. During her stint on Loose Women, Rebecca spoke candidly about observing her mother's struggle, calling it "really hard".
Rebecca opened up to the Loose Women panel, revealing the anguish she's endured: "Everybody who's been through this, it's an impossible situation watching someone, wanting to be able to do something. I think I'm slightly irritating. It's really hard to watch someone go through that and not be able to help."
She also shared her thoughts on the assisted dying campaign, stating: "That's why the campaign for assisted dying has been so helpful because it felt like a proactive thing I can help her with. It's just for people with a terminal diagnosis like mum, it's not for any other reason, and it's about compassion and care."
Moreover, Rebecca highlighted a crucial upcoming date, 16 May, when a relevant bill will undergo its second reading. She stressed that the bill features a "narrow criteria" to guarantee that only those with a terminal illness can access the measures in question.
