💔 Dame Esther Rantzen’s daughter Rebecca Wilcox has shared a moving update on her mother’s health as the beloved broadcaster prepares to celebrate another birthday.
The TV legend, who was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2023, is set to turn 86, a milestone her family are treating as deeply precious.
Rebecca appeared on Vanessa Feltz’s Channel 5 chat show Vanessa and spoke warmly about how grateful the family are to still have Dame Esther with them.
“It’s her birthday coming up. She’s going to be 86, which is brilliant,” Rebecca said.
She added that her mother is “as astonished as anybody” that she is still here.
🕯️ Dame Esther was first diagnosed with lung cancer in 2023.
Later that year, she revealed that the disease had reached stage four and said she had started a new form of medication.
Since then, the broadcaster has stepped back from the spotlight to focus on her health, spending time with family and continuing to speak out on causes close to her heart.
Rebecca explained that every day with her mother now feels like a gift.
“We are so grateful,” she said.
“She was diagnosed three years ago with terminal stage four lung and breast cancer, so every day is a wonderful miracle and we really are cherishing it.”
❤️ Rebecca’s words offered a tender glimpse into how the family are coping.
Rather than focusing only on fear or sadness, she spoke about gratitude, love and making the most of the time they have together.
“We are just so grateful to have her here,” she said.
For fans who have followed Dame Esther’s career for decades, the update was both heartbreaking and uplifting.
It showed a family living with the reality of terminal illness while still finding joy in ordinary moments.
🌿 One of those joys remains Dame Esther’s garden.
Rebecca revealed that her mother’s garden is still one of her greatest passions.
She described it as “gorgeous” and joked that Dame Esther was an early adopter of rewilding before it became fashionable.
“Monty Don has nothing on her,” Rebecca said.
She explained that the garden had been built from nothing on what was once a dilapidated farm — a place so special that Rebecca herself got married there.
The detail painted a beautiful picture of Dame Esther away from television: not as a public figure, but as a mother, grandmother and nature lover surrounded by something she helped create.
✨ The conversation also included a moment of humour.
When Vanessa asked about reports that Dame Esther had run through the garden naked, Rebecca joked that it happens most weekends.
“Nudity is her happy place,” she laughed.
It was a light-hearted moment in an otherwise emotional interview, showing that Dame Esther’s spirit and humour remain very much part of family life.
For Rebecca, those flashes of fun seem to be just as important as the serious updates.
They are reminders of who her mother is beyond her illness.
📺 Earlier this year, Dame Esther revealed that the medication she had been taking was no longer working.
She said at the time that she did not believe she would live long enough to see the Assisted Dying Bill become law in the UK.
Dame Esther has become one of the most high-profile supporters of assisted dying, using her own diagnosis to speak publicly about choice, dignity and compassion at the end of life.
In a pre-recorded segment on Good Morning Britain, she said she would continue fighting not for herself, but for future generations.
She said people deserved a compassionate and humanitarian law that would allow those who are suffering to ask for help.
🕊️ Her campaigning has been deeply personal.
Dame Esther has said she does not want to shorten life, but to shorten suffering at the end of life.
Her comments have sparked national debate, with supporters praising her courage and critics raising ethical concerns.
But even while facing her own terminal diagnosis, she has remained determined to use her voice.
That determination is part of what has made her such a respected figure across British broadcasting and public life.
🌟 Dame Esther’s legacy stretches far beyond television.
She became one of the UK’s best-known broadcasters through programmes including That’s Life!, using her platform to mix humour, consumer campaigning and serious social issues.
She also founded Childline, changing the lives of countless young people by giving them a confidential place to seek help.
For many viewers, she is not simply a TV presenter.
She is a campaigner, a trailblazer and a public figure who has spent decades speaking up for others.
💫 Now, as her family prepare to mark her 86th birthday, Rebecca’s update has carried a message of love and gratitude.
Dame Esther is still here.
Still cherished.
Still making her family laugh.
Still finding joy in her garden.
And still inspiring those around her with her courage.
For Rebecca and the rest of the family, every day has become something to treasure.
As she put it so simply, they are grateful to have her here.
