Dame Esther Rantzen has revealed that her lung cancer is at Stage 4 after being diagnosed with the disease earlier this year. The television presenter previously shared a statement regarding her diagnosis "because I find it difficult to skulk around various hospitals wearing an unconvincing disguise".
In a new interview with The Mirror, Esther has shared that she is being treated with "one of the new medications", although "nobody knows if it's working or not". An upcoming scan is due to reveal whether the treatment has been targeting the cancer.
Although the cancer is Stage 4, the That's Life! presenter, 82, claims that she is grateful to have enjoyed a long life and successful career in television, which has spanned six decades. Following her diagnosis, Esther has been reflecting on her work, achievements, and the family members and friends she has loved over the years.
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Esther told The Mirror: "My diagnosis of stage 4 lung cancer made me realise how very lucky I've been in my life, working with Childline and the Silver Line, and meeting so many fascinating and inspiring people, and especially lucky to have spent 21 years working as producer/presenter of That’s Life! I'm not good at regrets.
"What I treasure most are the fantastic friendships I have made thanks to That's Life! during the last 50 years, the people I met, and the team who worked so hard, and laughed so hard, together for so long."
Esther did not only appear on That's Life! as the presenter in the very first episode back in 1973, but she also coined the show's title. "Pardon me boasting, I came up with the title," she added.
Back in the day, the mother-of-three and grandmother-of-five hosted That's Life! with actor George Layton and Nationwide presenter Bob Wellings. She "loved it" and continued on the show for more than two decades, having previously been a reporter on consumer show Braden's Week, which inspired That's Life!
"We communicated instantly with our audience and they with us, they wrote to us and rang us to tell us about their lives," Esther said. "We were interactive long before the internet was born.
"It meant a heck of a lot of work for everybody. And then we had to research and investigate the stories, and then pursue the 'baddies' and find ways to protect our viewers from swindles and injustice, so that we really felt we were making a difference."
The programme contained a "strange mixture" of features, admits Esther, who lost her TV producer husband Desmond Wilcox in 2000. In addition to running serious consumer stories, That's Life! gave airtime to jokes and music, and people who played tunes on their false teeth and dogs that could say "sausages".
That's Life! made a real difference, with campaigns led by the show ushering in law changes such as children wearing seatbelts in cars and changing the concrete surfaces of playgrounds. The late Queen Elizabeth II would tune in to watch the show, as would government ministers.
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