Great British Bake Off star Prue Leith has been campaigning for the legalisation of assisted dying in the UK for over a decade, and has now revealed her own plans
Dame Prue Leith has shared her fervent hope that assisted dying will be legalised in the UK before she faces any severe health issues, drawing from the distressing ordeal her elder brother endured.
Great British Bake Off star Prue, 85, has been a vocal advocate for the cause for over a decade, spurred on by the painful passing of her brother David in 2012. As a patron of Dignity in Dying, Prue has now openly discussed her intentions should she encounter an unbearable decline in her quality of life, candidly stating she would take her own life.
Speaking to The i, she expressed: “I hope the assisted dying bill goes through. I’ve been campaigning for it for 12 years, ever since my elder brother died such a horrible death.
“If the law is passed, and I get to the stage when I know that I’m about to have a really horrible time, I will top myself. If the law isn’t passed, I’ll probably do it anyway, because I’ll be dead. They can hardly prosecute me.”
Prue’s remarks coincide with a setback in the UK’s progress towards legalising assisted dying. Labour MP Kim Leadbetter, who introduced the bill, has suggested a delay that could push back its enactment until 2029, reports Bristol Live.
A representative for Ms Leadbetter defended the postponement to the Guardian, stating: “Kim has always been clear that it’s more important to get the assisted dying legislation right than to do it quickly.
“The bill now contains even stronger safeguards than when it was first tableed, with a new judge-led voluntary assisted dying commission and multi-disciplinary panels to examine every application.
“These will inevitably take longer to implement. But the four-year limit is not a target, it’s a backstop. Kim hopes and believes the service can be delivered more quickly if it becomes law later this year.”
Despite potential delays, advocates like Prue continue to promote the bill’s advantages. Last year, Prue shared her family’s harrowing experience with Sky, as her brother “begging” for relief from the excruciating pain of bone cancer.
She recounted to the broadcaster: “He was spending every three weeks out of four in absolute agony. For his family to be round while he was crying, begging to die, begging to be given more morphine, it was desperate to watch.
“I think about this quite often, my younger brother had a really good death, my older brother had the one we described. And honestly, I want to die like my younger brother died. At home, free of pain.”
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While the first assisted death on the UK mainland may still be up to four years away, the Isle of Man could see it happen much sooner. The island has taken a historic step by becoming the first place in the British Isles to legalise assisted dying, with legislation passing its final parliamentary stages before receiving Royal assent.
After reaching a significant legislative landmark, Dr Alex Allinson, the politician and GP who put forward the private member’s bill in 2022, shared his satisfaction about the potential impact on the community.
He said: “It has been a long process, but it was something that, when I went into politics, I was committed to try to advance. People have been trying on the Isle of Man for the last 20 years to provide dignity and autonomy for those who are facing an imminent death.”
Prue is slated to return in the upcoming season two of ‘Prue Leith’s Cotswold Kitchen’ on ITV.