“I’d Trade 10 Years for 10 Minutes With Him”: Dame Esther Rantzen’s Final Wish Revealed as She Nears End of Cancer Battle 💔

Dame Esther Rantzen has shared a profoundly emotional update as she enters the final stage of her fight with terminal lung cancer — revealing a heartbreaking final wish and the devastating reality of her condition.

The 84-year-old broadcasting legend and founder of Childline has admitted that she has “very little time left.” In one of her most candid reflections yet, Esther revealed her deepes tdesire: to be reunited with her beloved late husband, Desmond Wilcox, who passed away in 2000.

Reflecting on their 30-year relationship, Esther described the hope of an afterlife where she could see Desmond — and other cherished loved ones — again as a source of immense comfort.

“If there is a heaven, it would be a very happy place,” she said. “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.”

Esther and Desmond’s love story began in 1968 while working at the BBC. They later married and raised three children together. Their bond remained unbreakable until Desmond’s death, and Esther recalled his final words to her: “I adore you.” In a moment that has moved many to tears, she shared:

“If God gave me the choice between ten more years of life and ten more minutes with Desi, I would pick those ten minutes.”

Sadly, her health has taken a sharp turn for the worse. Her daughter, Rebecca Wilcox, revealed that the cancer treatment Esther had been undergoing is no longer effective. Although it had previously slowed the disease, it has now stopped working.

In recent months, both Esther and Rebecca have become strong voices in support of legalizing assisted dying in the UK. For them, it’s about restoring a small measure of control and dignity in the face of an irreversible diagnosis.

“All the assisted dying bill is, is choice for people that want it,” Rebecca said. “That peace of mind, I cannot tell you how powerful that would be right now for my mum.”

Rebecca also opened up about the emotional strain of watching her mother endure the uncertainty of terminal illness — never knowing how or when her final moments will come.

“She doesn’t know how her death is going to happen, how the pain is going to progress, the exhaustion, the fatigue, what symptoms are going to come,” she explained.
“She is a person who has fought her whole life for other people, and she has no control now.”

Rebecca passionately asked why someone like her mum, facing the end with no options left, can’t be given the dignity of choosing when and how she leaves this world.

As Dame Esther Rantzen prepares to say goodbye, her raw honesty, deep love for her late husband, and continued fight for others have struck a powerful chord — reminding us that even as life fades, love and legacy endure.