Joanna Lumley considers assisted dying if she's left in 'miserable' state
The 79-year-old star has revealed in a new interview that she would consider voluntary euthanasia if she were unable to look after herself.
'People are terribly anxious about it and think one may be coerced (into voluntary euthanasia),' she said when asked about the bill in an interview with Saga magazine.
'But I'm saying this now when nobody's coercing me, don't let me turn into somebody who doesn't recognise the people I love most, where I'm having a miserable time.
She added that she felt if she were unable to communicate or feed herself, it could be time to go.
'When I get to the stage where I can't speak and have to be fed, that won't be me any more, and that's when I wouldn't mind saying farewell.'
The Terminally Ill Adults (end of life) Bill – also known as the Assisted Dying Bill was backed by MPs in the House of Commons last month.
The bill would allow terminally ill adults with fewer than six months to live, to apply for an assisted death.
It would mean that those wishing to die with assisted dying would need to get approval from two doctors, and a panel of experts including a social worker, psychiatrist and senior legal figure.
The House of Lords is set to debate and vote on the bill in the next stage of passing it.
Dame Ester Rantzen, who has terminal cancer, has been one of the high-profile backers of the new bill and has urged members of the House of Lords not to block the legislation.
Dame Joanna has now spoken about her mortality before, saying that she doesn't want to look back and feel she's wasted her time. More Trending
'As you near the top of the hill, you suddenly think, 'Gosh, there's not all that amount of time left',' she said.
'My time must be coming quite soon, and I don't want to have wasted a minute of being on this beautiful planet.'
Speaking to My Weekly, she also urged young people to worry less, adding: 'I used to panic when I was young, but as I've got older, I've started literally to live day to day.
'With age, you work out what matters. I always knew that good stuff would come along when I was older. When I was 18, I longed to be 30. When I was 30, I longed to be 50. We mustn't be led into thinking getting old is bad. Growing old is good.'
Got a story?
If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.
MORE: Inventor of the 'Tesla' of suicide pods 'vows to bring device to UK'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
38 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Elon Musk opened a diner in Hollywood. What could go wrong? I went to find out
It was just before lunchtime on its third day of operation, and the line outside Elon Musk's new Tesla Diner in Hollywood already stretched to nearly 100 people. The restaurant has been billed as a 'retro-futuristic' drive-in where you can grab a high-end burger and watch classic films on giant screens, all while charging your Tesla. After months of buildup and controversy, the diner had suddenly opened on Monday, at 4.20pm, the kind of stoner boy joke that Musk is well-known for. Hundreds of fans lined up to try burgers in Cybertruck-shaped boxes, or take photos of the Optimus robot serving popcorn on the roof deck of the gleaming circular diner. But that was for the grand opening. Less than 48 hours later, when we visited for lunch, the Tesla Diner experience was less a futuristic fantasy than a case study in how to fail with impunity. Many parts of the experience were breaking down, the food was mediocre, yet the fans were still cheerfully lining up to buy merch. The line to get into the diner on Wednesday morning was so long, an employee told us, in part because of technical problems. The app that allowed Tesla drivers to order from their cars was glitching, so the diner was 'prioritizing' Tesla owners who had to come inside to order instead. This meant that non-Tesla owners in the walk-up line might need to wait as long as two to three hours before we got our food. I expected at least a few people to leave the walk-up line immediately, but the only ones who did were two families of Tesla owners who went back to order from within their cars. Even if the app didn't work for them, they would still get their food faster. The hierarchy was clear: things were broken for everyone, but owners of Musk products had to suffer slightly less. The rest of us kept waiting in the hot sun. 'Retro-futurism', in this case, seemed to mean gorgeous, Tesla-inspired, mid-century modern architecture coupled with wait times that would shutter an ordinary McDonald's. An episode of Star Trek was playing on the giant drive-in movie screens, but the best entertainment available was watching tricked-out Cybertrucks arrive and depart. I counted at least six when I arrived, and more kept appearing: a neon orange Cybertruck with Texas plates, another floating on giant custom rims. I did not spot a single anti-Musk protester, though social media posts were advertising protests outside the diner later in the week. Musk's special projects have often unfolded with a degree of chaos. Most recently, his attempt to dismantle the large parts of the US government ended with him feuding with the president he had spent nearly $300m to elect. Serving high-end burgers to Tesla fans while they charge their electric cars should be much easier than launching space rockets, developing brain implants or running a social media platform that is not overrun with hate speech and harassment. And Musk's diner operation partners, the Los Angeles chef Eric Greenspan, who advised Mr Beast Burger, and restaurateur Bill Chait, of République and Tartine Bakery, have impressive food industry credentials. But the billionaire CEO tends to make big promises and not quite fulfill them. That appeared to be true even for a tiny burger joint. You don't have to own a Tesla to order a meal at the diner, and its appeal clearly reached far beyond Tesla drivers. There were many people in the walk-up line on Wednesday with babies and small children, some of whom were particularly excited to be visiting the Tesla Diner after seeing videos about it online. While we all waited and waited, employees in branded T-shirts brought us glasses of water and paper menus. Jake Hook, who runs a Los Angeles-focused 'Diner Theory' social media account, had described the Tesla Diner menu to me as 'all over the place', with a combination of 'very fast food shlocky' items combined with sandwiches made with 'bread from Tartine', the luxury California bakery. The diner also offers a mix of 'own the libs' and 'we are the libs' options: on the one hand, 'Epic Bacon', four strips of bacon are served with sauces as a meatfluencer alternative to french fries, and on the other, avocado toast and matcha lattes. There was a kale salad served in a cardboard Cybertruck: welcome to southern California. 'Diners are kind of a reflection of the community, and it doesn't seem to really be that,' Hook told me over the phone. 'It's like a diner-themed restaurant.' An employee gave the Wednesday walk-up line another update: they didn't have chicken, waffles or milkshakes, or any of the 'charged sodas', which came with boba and maraschino cherries and extra caffeine. 'It gets better and better,' sighed a man behind me. Josh Bates and his son Phoenix were in town for the day from Orange county, where they lived. 'We are big Musk fans,' he said. Phoenix, age 10, had been excited to visit the diner. 'I never seen Elon Musk open a restaurant, so I just wanted to come here and see how the food is,' he explained. But after waiting in line for 20 minutes and not getting much closer to ordering, Bates decided it was time to find somewhere else for lunch. 'It's the grand opening – things happen,' the father said. 'It is what it is. They're doing the best they can.' Bates wasn't the only Musk fan with this attitude. Ivan Daza, 36, who lived in Los Angeles, later told me that he had waited two hours the day before, only to be told around 6 or 7pm that the Tesla Diner's kitchen was closed. He had brought his eight-year-old daughter back the next day to try again. She had seen the Tesla Diner on YouTube and was especially excited to see the Optimus robot. But it turned out that Optimus was not in operation. Daza said he was surprised by the various problems the kitchen seemed to be having – he thought they would have a 'plan B'. But he was pleased the diner offered an 'experience'. The prices, though expensive, weren't that bad for Los Angeles. The burger was $13.50, without french fries. Later, as Daza ate the meal that had taken him two days to get, he grinned: 'Delicious.' The interior design was certainly closer to Disneyland than In-N-Out: all sleek and shining chrome, futuristic 1950s white chairs and tables, and beautifully designed lighting. The curved staircase up to the Skypad was decorated with robots in display cases on the wall. Inside a curved chrome window was what looked like a pretty ordinary, low-tech restaurant kitchen. I had waited in line for a full hour before I could place my order. When I finally got to the register, I asked an employee to remind me what on the menu was actually available. She said I needed to check the screen in front of me – they had whatever was there. It turned out, contrary to what I had been told, that I could order both chicken and waffles. After the long wait outside, my food arrived in about 10 minutes – much less than the three-hour wait I feared, but absurdly long for any fast-casual restaurant. A waffle, branded with the Tesla lightning bolt, was cold. The fried chicken had a tasty coating but was also cold. The heap of kale and tomatoes was only partially dressed with an odd dill-flavored dressing. The generic-brand cola tasted cheap and was served with a woke bamboo straw. But the food did come in elaborate Cybertruck boxes – and they were, to be honest, delightful. While locals seemed to be forgiving of the new diner's glitches, some tourists were less impressed. Rick Yin, 32, who was visiting Los Angeles from China with his mother, had stopped by the diner on their way to the airport to 'grab a quick lunch' that had turned out not to be quick at all. Yin had also been excited to see the Optimus robot in action, and had hoped the diner would be 'more hi-tech'. What he had found was 'a regular restaurant'. 'It's all right,' he said, while still waiting for his food. After eating, he said he liked the Cybertruck boxes: 'That's the only thing that's worth it.' I took my meal upstairs , to the Skypad, an open-air balcony with a view of the charging Teslas. The Twilight Zone was now playing on two giant screens. I sat down next to a steady line of people buying Tesla Diner merch: a $95 retro diner hoodie, $65 Tesla salt and pepper shakers, a $175 'levitating Cybertruck' figurine. There was a large popcorn machine in front of me, which seemed to be where Optimus had been serving snacks on opening night. Musk had been posting on X earlier in the morning that 'Optimus will bring the food to your car next year' and suggesting the robot might be dressed in a 'cute' retro outfit. In reality, Optimus was nowhere in sight. The robot was 'out today', an employee told me later, as if the pricey piece of machinery were a human celebrity with a busy schedule. 'Maybe tomorrow.' 'Is it possible to get some popcorn regardless of the robot?' a woman asked. 'It's probably old popcorn,' an employee told her regretfully. A different employee warned me that I could not walk down the same staircase I had taken up to the Skypad because it was too crowded and that 'everyone's colliding with each other and trays and milkshakes'. I would have to go down another way: a bland flight of stairs without any hi-tech decoration. During a Tesla earnings call on Wednesday, as the company disclosed declining revenue and profits, Musk highlighted his new burger palace as a success: 'Diners don't typically get headline news around Earth,' he bragged. He also called the diner 'a shiny beacon of hope in an otherwise sort-of bleak urban landscape'. (It is located on Santa Monica Boulevard, in a neighborhood full of high-end art galleries.) I'd had plenty of time in the diner line to think about 'retro-futuristic' experiences, and how good a description that was, not so much for this very ordinary diner, but for the rightwing political project that Musk had joined. We were now moving into a future that offered tank-like electric cars and on-demand drone deliveries, and also a resurgence of measles outbreaks and women dying from preventable pregnancy-related complications. But continuing to function in the United States right now requires being very good at compartmentalization. I tucked away the cardboard Cybertruck lids to show my co-workers, threw away the Tesla waffles, and went on with my day. Nothing works properly here any more, but hey, it's an experience.
BBC News
6 hours ago
- BBC News
Play to honour Leek's last fallen soldier in World War Two
A new play is being staged to commemorate the last soldier from a town to die in combat in World War Two.A True British Soldier will premiere at St Paul's Community Church on Novi Lane in Leek, Staffordshire, on 9 production will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the death of Frank Hammersley, who died in Burma aged 20, just days before the Japanese surrendered on 15 August follows him in his younger years and traces his relationship with his father. Mr Hammersley's name is etched onto the Nicholson War Memorial in Leek, which is now in its centenary play has been written and directed by local playwright Martha Callaghan and was inspired by councillor Bill Cawley as a tribute to the 535 men from Leek who lost their lives in both world wars. 'Loss and love' "This is not just Frank's story," said Ms Callaghan. "It's the story of thousands. Of fathers and sons, of towns burdened by war, of loss and love passed between generations."It's also a love letter to the town and a nod to the monument as a founding stone to the culture of contemporary Leek."Frank Hammersley, who was known as a pub singer, stands as an "everyman", she said, as a symbol of duty, resilience, and the cost of war on families and towns like Hammersley's father, also named Frank, was a survivor of World War One who fought at Mons in Belgium in 1914 and spent four years in a German prisoner of war camp."Above all [the play] is an opportunity to mark the courage and commitment to hardship and struggle that communities like Haregate in the town and elsewhere in the Moorlands contributed to victory against tyranny around the world," said national commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day (Victory over Japan Day) and the end of the Second World War on 15 August will be held at the National Memorial Arboretum in Burton-on-Trent in Staffordshire. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Shocking moment The Bill legend Reg Hollis tackles shoplifter in real-life arrest
Jeff Stewart, who played Pc Reg Hollis in ITV series The Bill, helped officers during a real-life arrest in Southampton, sitting on a suspect's legs to prevent him from escaping This is the shocking moment TV copper Pc Reg Hollis helps real-life police officers arrest a shoplifter as he attempted to escape on a bicycle. Actor Jeff Stewart, who played Pc Hollis for 24 years in ITV series The Bill, jumped into action by sitting on the suspect's legs after he fell from the bike, while officers handcuffed him in the incident in Southampton, Hampshire, on Wednesday. Bodycam footage from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary shows Jeff, wearing sunglasses and shorts, being thanked by officers. He replies: "No, sure, man. Well, I was in The Bill for 24 years, in the TV show. Yeah, I played Reg." The star later posed for a group photo with police officers. Mohamed Diallo, 29, of Anglesea Road, Southampton, was charged with five offences of theft, to which he pleaded guilty, at Southampton Magistrates' Court on Thursday. He was bailed to be sentenced on August 29. A Hampshire Constabulary spokesman said: "In policing you should always expect the unexpected, but this really wasn't on The Bill for this week. "Officers making an arrest in Southampton were aided by none other than TV's Pc Reg Hollis during an incident on Wednesday 23 July. The officers, from Bargate Neighbourhoods Policing Team, were in the city in the afternoon when they were alerted by staff at Co-op in Ocean Way to a suspected shoplifter, who attempted to make good his escape on a bicycle. "The thief, 29-year-old Mohamed Diallo, fell off the bike during his attempts to flee, before officers pounced to make their arrest. To their surprise, local TV legend Jeff Stewart, who played Pc Hollis for 24 years in The Bill, came to their aid by sitting on the suspect's legs while officers put him in cuffs. "Long since retired from Sun Hill station – but he's still got it." Diallo was convicted of the theft of £17.25 worth of coffee from Co-op in Ocean Way on July 23, theft of £69.90 worth of coffee and food items on July 17, and £54.50 of alcohol and coffee from the same shop on July 14. He also admitted stealing £80 of wine from Sainsbury's in Bedford Place on July 14 and £63 worth of alcohol from Sainsbury's in Redcar Street on April 22. The Bill, which ran from 1984 until 2010, followed the personal and professional lives of detectives from the fictional Sun Hill area of east London. Jeff was the highest-earning cast member, raking in £150,000 a year for his appearances. He appeared in the first ever episode of the series, which aired in 1984. His character rocked short, cropped dark hair and a clean-shaven face during his time on the fan-favourite ITV series. The Bill actor would usually wear a smart police officer's uniform, which included a crisp white shirt, a simple black tie and a classic police officer's vest. Since leaving the long-running series, the actor continued appearing on TV and had roles in movies and shows like Dead Man Running, The Hooligan Factory and Mob Handed. He also starred in Under Jakob's Ladder in 2011, in which he picked up the Best Actor gong at the Manhattan Film Festival.
