Joanna Lumley, 79, throws support behind assisted dying bill as she shares concern over ‘miserable’ state
Dame Joanna Lumley has declared her backing for the assisted dying legislation currently progressing through Parliament, revealing she would consider the option under specific circumstances.
The 79-year-old actress expressed support for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill during a recent interview, stating she “wouldn’t mind” choosing assisted death if her condition deteriorated to a point where she could no longer communicate or feed herself independently.
The veteran performer, renowned for her role as Patsy Stone in Absolutely Fabulous, emphasised that her position comes without any external pressure, making her views clear whilst still in good health.
Her stance adds a prominent voice to the debate surrounding the controversial legislation, which cleared its first parliamentary hurdle in the Commons last month.
Speaking recently, Dame Joanna addressed concerns about potential coercion, stating: “People are terribly anxious about it and think one may be coerced (into voluntary euthanasia).”
She continued: “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.”
Speaking to to Saga Magazine, the actress outlined her specific threshold for considering the option: “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.”
Her comments reflect deeply personal considerations about quality of life and autonomy in end-of-life decisions, contributing to the ongoing national conversation about assisted dying legislation.
The legislation would permit terminally ill adults in England and Wales with less than six months to live to seek assisted death, subject to approval from two doctors and a panel comprising a social worker, senior legal professional and psychiatrist.
The Bill now advances to the House of Lords for additional scrutiny and voting in autumn.
Television presenter Dame Esther Rantzen, diagnosed with terminal cancer at 85, has emerged as another prominent advocate for the legislation, recently appealing to peers not to obstruct its passage.
Last month, her daughter Rebecca Wilcox expressed hope that the assisted dying Bill would pass the crucial vote that took place in June, describing it as a potential “wonderful 85th birthday present” for her mother.
Campaign activist Louise Shackleton, who faces investigation after accompanying her husband with motor neurone disease to Switzerland for assisted suicide last December, praised Dame Joanna’s public stance.
She told The Mirror: “He would have been overwhelmed that such a huge star has spoken out.”
Despite parliamentary approval, the Bill faces significant resistance from political figures across party lines.
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick expressed deep unease about the legislation, writing in the Daily Mail that the prospect “fills me with dread”, drawing on personal experience caring for his terminally ill grandmother Dorothy.
He argued: “People like her – and there are many such people – may consider an assisted death as another act of kindness to us. How wrong they would be.”
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch instructed her MPs to oppose what she termed “a bad Bill”, despite previously supporting assisted suicide.
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Veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott warned: “There is no doubt that if this Bill is passed in its current form, people will lose their lives who do not need to, and they will be amongst the most vulnerable and marginalised in our society.”