Dame Esther Rantzen has said that she thought she would be “too far gone” by the time MPs debated assisted dying.

broadcaster first Found out she had joined DignitasAssisted dying clinic in Switzerland, after being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer.

Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) BillThe bill, which would allow some people to die with medical assistance, will be discussed in the House of Commons at a later date.

While Dame Esther wants the law changed, protesters fear people could feel pressured to end their lives.

helped to die Usually this refers to a person who is terminally ill and is receiving lethal drugs from a physician, which they then take themselves.

It is banned in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.

Under the bill, adults who are expected to die within six months can seek help to end their lives.

Two doctors and a High Court judge have to agree that they are eligible.

Labor MP Kim Leadbeater, who is behind the bill, said it could Prevent “disturbing” deaths,

Dame Esther said she told Ms Leadbeater that the current laws in Britain are “horrible” and “cruel” because they force people to travel to Switzerland alone to die.

The Childline founder, who lives in the New Forest in Hampshire, said if her family had gone with him, they would have risked being prosecuted for assisting in his death.

She said, “I would prefer to die in my own home surrounded by people who are close to me.”

“But that option would not be open to me, because even if we get a ‘yes’ vote in this debate… you can’t get through the next phase in less than a year.

“And my miracle drug is working very well but I can’t expect it to keep me alive for another year.”

Recent former Labor Prime Minister Gordon Brown joins list of people publicly protesting For a new law on assisted dying.

Brown’s first daughter, Jennifer Jane, died at the age of 11 days, which she said left her in shock.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said he was concerned the law would put people at risk of getting sick Ending their lives by being “obsessed with crime”,

British Medical Association and this Royal College of Nursing Are neutral on the issue.

• What is assisted death?
• What’s in the proposed assisted dying law?
• How does assisted dying work in other countries?

Dame Esther said she was surprised he was still alive to see the bill debated.

“I’m surprised I’m still here and this is happening,” he said.

Although she believes she will not live long enough to take advantage of the new law, she said she wanted to save other families from “the same painful experience.”

“In the old days, doctors would simply release you from life, and the difference was that it was not necessary to have your consent,” he said.

“It was not part of the built-in safeguards, but in this new bill, it will be.”

The bill must be approved by MPs and peers before it becomes law, with a first debate and vote taking place later.

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