Mum has the right to choose how to die...but I don't want to be accused of murder

THE daughter of TV legend Dame Esther Rantzen has revealed she is worried about being prosecuted over her mum's decision to join Dignitas.

- BGiles Sheldrick

The That's Life! host, 83, revealed this week that she has signed up to the assisted dying clinic in Switzerland after being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in January.

But daughter Rebecca Wilcox said yesterday: "I can't even say I would support my mum on her journey to Dignitas because if I said that, that's legally murky.

"Obviously, in my head, I would have thought I would never let her go alone to somewhere like that.

"I'm a busy working mum. I can't leave my children to pop off to jail while she's buzzing off to Switzerland.

"The fact is only three people a year get prosecuted. The process of going through a court case at what is the worst time of my life...mum is my person, I do not want to live without her. I will have to live without her." Rebecca, 43, pleaded with authorities to not make this part of her life any harder.

She added: "Don't make it worse for me by accusing me of murdering her and making me go through what would be a terrifying legal process.

"Dignitas does not look like a very lovely place. I would much rather have diamonds and champagne and a hot bathtub. I think mum would too.

We both model ourselves on Dame Joan Collins, who is fabulous." Rebecca admitted she would want to "ground the plane" should her mother fly to the suicide clinic in Zurich - but fully supports her right to choose how to end her life.