Dame Esther Rantzen, the renowned broadcaster, has candidly expressed her heartfelt yearning to reunite with her late husband in the afterlife. As she celebrates her 86th birthday today, Esther faces the challenges posed by her diagnosis of stage four lung cancer, disclosed in 2023. Earlier this year, she shared the sobering news that the medication once successfully managing her illness had ceased to be effective.
In a poignant reflection earlier this spring, she spoke to The Times about her own mortality, musing, “If there is a heaven, it would be a very happy place. It’s a lovely idea to meet Desmond again and all those I have loved and lost – my parents and grandparents, my close friends and family.” Desmond, her husband for over two decades, passed away in 2000 at the age of 69 following a heart attack. Together, they shared the joy of raising three children.
In light of Esther’s upcoming milestone, her daughter, Rebecca Wilcox, recently shared some thoughts with Vanessa Feltz.
Rebecca, at 46, expressed delight during her conversation with Vanessa, saying: “It’s her birthday coming up. She’s going to be 86, which is brilliant. She’s as astonished as anybody that she’s still here.”
She added with gratitude, “We are so grateful. 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. We are just so grateful to have her here.”
She also told the broadcaster how her mother is still passionate about gardening.
“Her garden is her passion,” Rebecca explained. “It is gorgeous.
“She’s an early adopter of rewilding. Monty Don has nothing on her. They built this garden from nothing. It was a dilapidated farm. I got married there.”