Dame Esther Rantzen’s family has shared a poignant “goodbye” letter written by the late TV personality before her death.
The veteran presenter and campaigner was diagnosed with stage-four cancer in 2023, after which she became a vocal advocate for assisted dying.
Following the news of her death on Wednesday night at the age of 86, Dame Esther’s family shared a letter she’d written, that the presenter had wanted to be made public after she died.
“I am so sorry I cannot send you each individual thanks for the fun, the support and the help you have been to me,” the letter began. “I have been immensely lucky in the friendship and the professional advice I have had from you which has enabled me to live such a long and happy life.”
Dame Esther went on to say that “if any of you would like to donate something to charity in my name as a celebration of what we have had together”, she listed Dignitas, the the Oakhaven Hospice in Lymington and Cats Protection as causes close to her heart.
“Sadly, all good things come to an end, as they say,” she noted. “So I particularly wanted to say goodbye and thank you so very, very much. Perhaps I will see you eventually, on the other side. I do hope so.”
She signed off the message: “With very good wishes, as ever, Esther.”
The former That’s Life! host opened up life and death in a piece published in The Times shortly after she disclosed her cancer diagnosis.
“Am I ready to go?” she wrote at the time. “Yes and no. The will is written, ramshackle furniture has been given away and old bits of technology have been dumped or recycled, but the barn is still full of boxes of files and scripts and photographs I should have sorted, filed or shredded long ago.
“But each box I open is so crammed with memories that once I start, I’m still reading it three hours later when I should have consigned it to a skip and moved on.”
Dame Esther noted that she was taking comfort in “nature”, “happy memories” of “wonderful friends, colleagues and family whose company has meant so much to me”, claiming: “The cliché is live each day as if it’s your last and treasure every moment. Certainly, I don’t try to hurry the clock out of impatience. I’m never bored and I know how lucky I am to have lasted this long.”
“If you have someone you care about, tell them,” she added, concluding: “And if at any time you are told you are dying, as my medical friends say, just remember that we all are.”
