Latest news with #TerminallyIllAdults
Leader Live
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
Joanna Lumley ‘wouldn't mind' assisted dying if she got to a ‘miserable' state
The 79-year-old said she supported the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which was backed by MPs in the Commons last month, that would allow terminally ill adults with fewer than six months to live to apply for an assisted death. Asked about the Bill in an interview with Saga Magazine, Dame Joanna said: 'People are terribly anxious about it and think one may be coerced (into voluntary euthanasia). '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. '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 Bill would see those wishing to go through assisted dying require approval by two doctors and a panel featuring a social worker, senior legal figure and psychiatrist. It will next come before the House of Lords for further debate and votes. One of the Bill's most high-profile backers has been TV presenter Dame Esther Rantzen, 85, who has terminal cancer, and recently urged members of the House of Lords not to block the legislation. Dame Joanna is best known for her roles as Patsy Stone in the BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous, Sapphire in ITV supernatural series Sapphire And Steel, and in The New Avengers, the 1970s revamped version of 1960s ITV spy series The Avengers. She will appear in season two of Netflix supernatural series Wednesday as Grandmama in August.
South Wales Guardian
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- South Wales Guardian
Joanna Lumley ‘wouldn't mind' assisted dying if she got to a ‘miserable' state
The 79-year-old said she supported the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which was backed by MPs in the Commons last month, that would allow terminally ill adults with fewer than six months to live to apply for an assisted death. Asked about the Bill in an interview with Saga Magazine, Dame Joanna said: 'People are terribly anxious about it and think one may be coerced (into voluntary euthanasia). '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. '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 Bill would see those wishing to go through assisted dying require approval by two doctors and a panel featuring a social worker, senior legal figure and psychiatrist. It will next come before the House of Lords for further debate and votes. One of the Bill's most high-profile backers has been TV presenter Dame Esther Rantzen, 85, who has terminal cancer, and recently urged members of the House of Lords not to block the legislation. Dame Joanna is best known for her roles as Patsy Stone in the BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous, Sapphire in ITV supernatural series Sapphire And Steel, and in The New Avengers, the 1970s revamped version of 1960s ITV spy series The Avengers. She will appear in season two of Netflix supernatural series Wednesday as Grandmama in August.
Rhyl Journal
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Rhyl Journal
Joanna Lumley ‘wouldn't mind' assisted dying if she got to a ‘miserable' state
The 79-year-old said she supported the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which was backed by MPs in the Commons last month, that would allow terminally ill adults with fewer than six months to live to apply for an assisted death. Asked about the Bill in an interview with Saga Magazine, Dame Joanna said: 'People are terribly anxious about it and think one may be coerced (into voluntary euthanasia). '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. '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 Bill would see those wishing to go through assisted dying require approval by two doctors and a panel featuring a social worker, senior legal figure and psychiatrist. It will next come before the House of Lords for further debate and votes. One of the Bill's most high-profile backers has been TV presenter Dame Esther Rantzen, 85, who has terminal cancer, and recently urged members of the House of Lords not to block the legislation. Dame Joanna is best known for her roles as Patsy Stone in the BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous, Sapphire in ITV supernatural series Sapphire And Steel, and in The New Avengers, the 1970s revamped version of 1960s ITV spy series The Avengers. She will appear in season two of Netflix supernatural series Wednesday as Grandmama in August.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Joanna Lumley backs assisted dying and reveals exactly when she 'wouldn't mind saying farewell'
The 79-year-old star said she supports the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which was backed by MPs last month and is heading for the Lords this autumn Actress Dame Joanna Lumley has spoken out in favour of assisted dying, saying she would not want to carry on if she couldn't talk or eat or recognise her loved ones. The 79-year-old star said she supports the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which was backed by MPs last month and is heading for the Lords this autumn. The new law would allow terminally ill adults with less than six months to live to apply for an assisted death. Asked about the bill in an interview with Saga Magazine, Dame Joanna, best known for her role as Patsy in the BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous, said: 'People are terribly anxious about it and think one may be coerced. 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. 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." One of the bill's most high-profile supporters has been TV presenter Dame Esther Rantzen, 85, who has terminal cancer and is being backed by her daughter Rebecca Wilcox. Esther recently urged members of the Lords not to block the legislation. Dame Joanna's support has been welcomed by campaigners, including Louise Shackleton. Louise is being probed by police after reporting herself for going with her husband Anthony, 59, to the Dignitas group in Switzerland. Anthony, who had motor neurone disease, had decided to end his life, aided by Dignitas, in December. Louise, 58, from North Yorkshire, told the Mirror how she would be burying his ashes today. She said: 'Monday is my husband's 60th birthday and it's the day we lay him to rest. 'He would have been overwhelmed that such a huge star has spoken out. I would like to thank Joanna on behalf of fellow campaigners for having the courage to speak out and to represent the vast majority of people who are in agreement with what she is saying but haven't got her platform.' Louise said she hoped the bill would make it through the Lords. She said: 'Hopefully, there will be measured, educated and community focused progress to move this forward.' Dignity in Dying CEO Sarah Wootton said: 'Dame Joanna's comments show that just like the overwhelming majority of the public, she supports assisted dying for terminally ill, mentally competent adults, which puts power in the hands of dying people to choose how they die. People want to know that when they are dying, they will have the peace of mind of being able to ask for a safe, peaceful assisted death. 'We urge the Lords to listen to dying people, bereaved families and the public.' But the bill does have its opponents. Gordon Macdonald, CEO of Care Not Killing, said after the last vote: 'This is a deeply flawed and dangerous bill which fails to protect vulnerable and disabled people from coercion.' However Louise responded: 'The bill does not include disabled people, it does not include people with anorexia or the elderly, unless they have a terminal illness with an assessed sound mind and less than six months to live.'
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Authority over death belongs to God alone, Church of England leader warns
Authority over death belongs to God only, the Church of England's parliament has been told as its current highest-ranking bishop spoke out against assisted dying. Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell praised a colleague and member of the House of Lords for her 'principled and persistent opposition' to proposed legislation being considered at Westminster. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill cleared the House of Commons last month in a historic vote, bringing assisted dying closer to becoming law in England and Wales. It has now moved to the House of Lords where it will undergo further debate and scrutiny. In the immediate aftermath of the June vote, Bishop of London Dame Sarah Mullally, who sits in the House of Lords, said peers 'must oppose' the Bill when it reaches them due to the 'mounting evidence that it is unworkable and unsafe'. She is among those opposed who have called for more work to improve funding and access to 'desperately needed' palliative care services instead. Addressing the Church of England General Synod – also known as the Church's parliament – on Friday, Mr Cottrell voiced his staunch opposition to the Bill. He said there was a 'compelling narrative of what it means to be human – and in all our glorious diversity, made in the image of God, and living Jesus-shaped lives – that will enable us to withstand, and even turn back, those utilitarian tides of opinion that risk making, for instance, assisted dying a reality in our national life, changing forever the contract between doctor and patient, pressurising the vulnerable, and assuming an authority over death that belongs to God alone'. Mr Cottrell – who is the temporary leading religious voice of the Church while the appointment of a new Archbishop of Canterbury is awaited – thanked Dame Sarah and 'other Lords Spiritual for their principled and persistent opposition to the assisted dying Bill in Parliament'. It is expected Synod members will engage in a debate on assisted dying during this five-day session. Making the case for assisted dying ahead of last month's vote, a terminally ill Christian preacher criticised the 'nonsensical' religious argument against assisted dying that suffering must be part of life. Church of England lay preacher Pamela Fisher, who is terminally ill with cancer, made an impassioned speech against the religious arguments made by some who oppose assisted dying. Speaking to reporters in June, she said: 'I completely reject the assumption that the sanctity of life requires terminally ill people to undergo a distressing and painful death against their will. 'I disagree with those that say it is God alone who decides how and when we die. 'Yes, life is a gift from God to be honoured but it's nonsensical to say that assisted dying is wrong because suffering is part of God's plan for us.' The proposed legislation would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales, with fewer than six months to live, to apply for an assisted death, subject to approval by two doctors and a panel featuring a social worker, senior legal figure and psychiatrist. Elsewhere in his opening address to Synod, Mr Cottrell acknowledged, in an apparent reference to controversy around the handling of abuse scandals over the years, that the Church of England had been 'humbled' of late. He said: 'God has humbled us in so many ways this year. 'It has not been easy, but if it has made us more penitent, more determined to put victims and survivors first, more resolved to sort out all sorts of things to do with clergy discipline and accountability, terms of service, independent safeguarding, and other things besides, then, Synod, God the Redeemer, who believes in his Church, is at work among us.'
