Esther Rantzen’s daughter shares plans for Christmas they never thought they’d see

Watch: Esther Rantzen's daughter shares family plans for special Christmas

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Dame Esther Rantzen's daughter Rebecca Wilcox has shared her family plans for the Christmas they thought they would never see with her mum as they look to an uncertain future in her terminal cancer diagnosis.

The broadcaster and ChildLine founder was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and her family had believed Christmas 2023 might be her last but are looking forward to celebrating together again as a new drug is currently keeping Rantzen's symptom progression at bay.

Wilcox told Loose Women they were making the most of every moment and also shared her thoughts on the recent assisted dying vote which she and her mum have backed.

What, how, and why?

Wilcox, who is continuing her mum's ChildLine work, spoke about the family's plans for Christmas: "We're going mad. There is not a surface in my house that isn't glittery. Everything is glitter, everything is sparkle. She thinks it's a bit much, I don't think it's enough. I think we have three turkeys, we've got all the trimmings, and considering my sister is quite kosher that's not great."

Wilcox told the ITV1 chat show of her mum: "She's good, she's on a drug that keeps working so at the moment it's this weird situation that I think anybody that has somebody that they love that has a terminal diagnosis or has one themselves that you are just waiting for this weird, horrible, sword of Damocles to fall and in the meantime trying to make the best of every possible moment you have."

Asked if it added pressure for the time they spent together to be perfect, she said: "Absolutely. And never disagreeing with her, although that was pretty standard for the whole of my life because disagree with her at your peril.

"But you can't have a fight. She's always said, and it's brilliant advice, never, ever, ever go to sleep on an argument. That was her advice for her marriage, for bringing up children, for her friendships and we just keep going with that.

Read more:

• As assisted dying backed by MPs, what happens next? (Yahoo News)

• What is the Assisted Dying Bill? Controversial new law backed by MPs (The Standard)

• Vote by British MPs in favour of assisted dying is a landmark decision (The Guardian)

"For my dad, he did have heart disease but we lost him quite quickly, and so we never got a chance to say the things we're saying. I think she's a little bit annoyed because she always says if you say you're leaving a party, you should damn well leave it, and she hasn't. And I'm really pleased she hasn't."

She also shared how she had spoken to her children about their grandmother's diagnosis: "We went with the open and honest approach which is not for everybody. We decided that if there's going to be secret conversations in corners it would be too much and they are really aware.

"Their whole behaviour around Mum has changed. They would do more quiet games with her, it used to be pillow forts and Nerf gun fights which she was excellent at. But now it's more Scrabble and solitaire and story time.

"We decided to tell them everything. There's no real gory detail yet, so it's just we're in a holding pattern. I said to them shall we go down and see her and my eldest said absolutely, we should always go and see her. It's when they say things like that, you realise they are so aware, they're always listening."

What did Rebecca Wilcox say about the assisted dying vote?

Wilcox and Rantzen have both campaigned hard for a change in the law on assisted dying after Rantzen revealed she planned to visit the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland when she felt the time was right to end her life.

The bill passed the first stage of a parliamentary vote to change the law in the UK in favour of assisted dying for those with a terminal diagnosis when it was debated at the end of November.

Wilcox said: "We were both completely baffled and bamboozled by the whole process because we just thought it made such sense that people who had a terminal diagnosis anyway could take their lives in a manner of their choosing and at a time of their choosing without any pain. There was an MP who stood up in the debate and said this is not life or death, this is death or death. It's a way of choosing another way when you're already dying."

She added: "There are so many things I would like to add to this bill but I just want to make sure we are forward thinking and using common sense to get this one past the post. It's not something I would ever open up to a physical disability or a mental incapacity, it's all about safeguarding people as well as making the end gentler, more compassionate and kinder."

Loose Women airs on ITV1 at 12.30pm on weekdays.