Facebook Pixel DAME ESTHER'S 'PRECIOUS XMAS FULL OF SMILES' | Daily Express - newspaper - Les denne historien på Magzter.com
Gå ubegrenset med Magzter GOLD

Gå ubegrenset med Magzter GOLD

Få ubegrenset tilgang til over 9000 magasiner, aviser og premiumhistorier for bare

$149.99
 
$74.99/År

Prøve GULL - Gratis

DAME ESTHER'S 'PRECIOUS XMAS FULL OF SMILES'

Daily Express

|

December 28, 2023

IT was the Christmas that Dame Esther Rantzen never thought possible she would share with her beloved family.

- Giles Sheldrick 

DAME ESTHER'S 'PRECIOUS XMAS FULL OF SMILES'

But, thanks to a "miracle drug", the 83-year-old campaigner, who has stage 4 lung cancer, enjoyed the festivities crammed with "love, smiles and sparkle", said her delighted daughter Rebecca Wilcox, reflecting on a "precious" Christmas.

Rebecca, 43, paid tribute to her mother, who is campaigning alongside the Daily Express to reform "outdated" assisted dying laws and said she would not put it past the TV legend to conjure up another miracle by doing it all again next year.

She joked: "Mum has a habit of making the impossible possible so watch this space!" Dame Esther was diagnosed last January and her family feared she would not live to see spring - so this Christmas was a particular blessing.

The lifelong activist enjoyed precious family time with her three children and five grandchildren.

As well as Rebecca and her children Benjamin, 11, and Alexander, eight, Dame Esther was joined by Rebecca's siblings Miriam and Joshua plus his children Teddy, eight, and six-year-old twins Romilly and Florence for festive food, fun and parlour games.

Writing exclusively for the Express, Rebecca revealed that her Surrey home had reverberated to the sound of laughter, despite the realisation that it might be the family's last such Christmas together. Dame Esther, who was determined to light up the faces of her nearest and dearest, took to the floor for a rumbustious rendition of The Twelve Days Of Christmas - and only she knew the words in the correct order off by heart.

Rebecca said: "The day was filled with games and happy moments.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA Daily Express

Daily Express

Daily Express

THINKIN'S BACK ON GOLD TRAIL

INOTHEWAYURTHINKIN is back on course to defend his crown in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup two weeks today.

time to read

1 min

February 27, 2026

Daily Express

Daily Express

CLOSE CALL FOR FOREST

Hudson-Odoi KO's Fener fightback

time to read

1 mins

February 27, 2026

Daily Express

Jessie electric as monstrous bride

JESSIE Buckley is a woman in demand as she promotes her new movie The Bride! just days after her Bafta win for Hamnet.

time to read

1 min

February 27, 2026

Daily Express

WOLVES SUPPORT TOLU

ROB EDWARDS says Wolves have supported Tolu Arokodare after the Nigeria striker was subjected to racist abuse.

time to read

1 min

February 27, 2026

Daily Express

PULL UP A CHAIR FOR YOUR FILL OF SHOWBIZ

In that chat-showy way, Table for Four is a welcome excuse to promote tours, books, podcasts and projects, but while chewing on one-pot paneer curry pie and self-saucing Jaffa pudding.

time to read

1 mins

February 27, 2026

Daily Express

BUTTLER STILL A KEY FIGURE

Jos’ record commands respect as Black Caps ignore form book

time to read

2 mins

February 27, 2026

Daily Express

PALACE HAVE MAX FACTOR

MAXENCE LACROIX and Evann Guessand scored to see Crystal Palace reach the Conference League last 16 in their first season in Europe.

time to read

1 min

February 27, 2026

Daily Express

Daily Express

Princess hair for necklace gift

PRINCESS Catherine moves her hair to help seven-year-old Leman Wetti clip in place a necklace made by her and other children as the Waleses went walkabout in wet Wales.

time to read

1 min

February 27, 2026

Daily Express

'NO BACKBONE' TO SOLVE ILLEGAL MIGRANT CRISIS

Senior Tories attack Labour for only removing 6% of Channel boat arrivals

time to read

4 mins

February 27, 2026

Daily Express

Daily Express

AI fight is not man vs machine but between open and closed minds

I AM often asked if artificial intelligence will wipe out white-collar jobs?

time to read

3 mins

February 27, 2026

Translate

Share

-
+

Change font size