35. Esther Rantzen

[Grim Up North 3,727]

The tag line for the thread surely the only possible headline when she does go.

[Bibliogryphon 9,588]

1 hour ago, Sean said:

She announced that in January.

 

I think today's coverage is to mark the 50th Anniversary of the broadcast of the first episode of That's Life so it is background information rather than new revelations

[The Happy Reaper 223]

I took a dislike to her when she started that 'Jobsworth' crap - mocking people who used the expression "That's more than my job's worth." - which translates as "I don't have the authority to let you do that - if I did, I would be subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal." which doesn't seem at all unreasonable to me.

[gcreptile 10,979]

Update behind paywall:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/esther-rantzen-cancer-interview-2023-hkf7bvzsh

[Bibliogryphon 9,588]

10 minutes ago, gcreptile said:

Update behind paywall:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/esther-rantzen-cancer-interview-2023-hkf7bvzsh

 

Could you summarise for the hard of spending?

[harrymcnallysblueandwhitearmy 1,689]

10 minutes ago, gcreptile said:

Update behind paywall:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/esther-rantzen-cancer-interview-2023-hkf7bvzsh

It’s more than my jobsworth to read paywall articles.

[gcreptile 10,979]

Just now, Bibliogryphon said:

 

Could you summarise for the hard of spending?

I cant... I only saw it through Google.

[GrumpyRabbit 52]

2 hours ago, gcreptile said:

Update behind paywall:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/esther-rantzen-cancer-interview-2023-hkf7bvzsh

It’s mainly extracts from her “My A-Z of Surviving Almost Anything” book, and how she was diagnosed.  It does say it’s stage 4, not smoking-related lung cancer of a type that usually affects young Asian women. It can be treated and held back, but not cured.

[Perhaps 1,425]

She popped up on The One Show to flog her book and revealed that her oncologist said she would die "at some point in the next 10 years" which is not exactly helpful information for deadpoolers. 

 

Given that she's already 83 I'd say that's a rather optimistic estimation.

[msc 18,480]

She could just go on the DL for wishful thinking anyway. 

[YoungWillz 21,066]

She claims it might have been asbestos at the Beeb which caused her illness: https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/esther-rantzen-fears-asbestos-bbc-30561596

 

This is probably something one of those investigative programmes could look into - if they were made in the same volume as reality programming of course.

 

But they aren't, so they won't - you'll just have to sue, Esther. See how that works out for you.

[msc 18,480]

1 hour ago, YoungWillz said:

She claims it might have been asbestos at the Beeb which caused her illness: https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/esther-rantzen-fears-asbestos-bbc-30561596

 

This is probably something one of those investigative programmes could look into - if they were made in the same volume as reality programming of course.

 

But they aren't, so they won't - you'll just have to sue, Esther. See how that works out for you.

Several of the BBC TV centre studios had asbestos in the seventies but so did fucking everywhere. One of the studios was particularly stuffed with it and there's a correlation with shows filmed there and premature deaths in the cast and crew eg 70s Dr Who. 

 

But there is also the fact that nearly everyone in the BBC back then smoked like a chimney.

[msc 18,480]

@youngwillz you liked the post while I was off double checking facts. Because of staff turn over and the world cottoning on late to the dangers of asbestos the amount of the stuff in studio 2 where it was most dangerous was only discovered in 1988 when they were going to film The Greatest Show in the Galaxy hence that shifting to an all location shoot. An emergency survey of all the BBC studios was carried out, asbestos was found in all of them, and removed before anyone could use the studios again. 

 

So the second it was discovered it was acted on, so even if Esther hasn't self diagnosed mesothelioma for herself, she's just shit out of luck, that's all.

[YoungWillz 21,066]

2 minutes ago, msc said:

Several of the BBC TV centre studios had asbestos in the seventies but so did fucking everywhere. One of the studios was particularly stuffed with it and there's a correlation with shows filmed there and premature deaths in the cast and crew eg 70s Dr Who. 

 

But there is also the fact that nearly everyone in the BBC back then smoked like a chimney.

Lime Grove in particular.

 

I'm being tetchy of course. She's in her 80s and reaching for reasons as to why she's about to die. Which you don't do in the press by speculation. Get some evidence that might tie your condition to it and then reach for the compo payment if that's what you want. She also talks about London air quality. 

 

Plenty of folk probably died before they tied the mesothelioma to asbestos, others since have received payouts. I don't think she's looking for that necessarily, but the story ticked me off. As a former "consumer affairs champion", someone turning up on her doorstep back in the day saying "I've no evidence, but it might be this or that that affected me" she wouldn't have even entertained it.

[YoungWillz 21,066]

8 minutes ago, msc said:

@youngwillz you liked the post while I was off double checking facts. Because of staff turn over and the world cottoning on late to the dangers of asbestos the amount of the stuff in studio 2 where it was most dangerous was only discovered in 1988 when they were going to film The Greatest Show in the Galaxy hence that shifting to an all location shoot. An emergency survey of all the BBC studios was carried out, asbestos was found in all of them, and removed before anyone could use the studios again. 

 

So the second it was discovered it was acted on, so even if Esther hasn't self diagnosed mesothelioma for herself, she's just shit out of luck, that's all.

I typed my response while you were doing yours. 

 

I think she should spend less time speculating and maybe channel what time she has left into how folk similarly affected can be positive about their condition.

[GrumpyRabbit 52]

Just to be clear, she hasn’t got mesothelioma she has lung cancer.  Mesothelioma is in the lining around organs, particularly the lungs, and its only known cause is asbestos exposure.  Lung cancer can be caused by a number of things including just bad luck.

 

Mesothelioma is very aggressive and expected lifespan after onset of symptoms is usually about a year.  My uncle died of it this week, about 10 months after being diagnosed, and I’ve learnt more about it in that time than I ever want to.

[YoungWillz 21,066]

9 minutes ago, GrumpyRabbit said:

Just to be clear, she hasn’t got mesothelioma she has lung cancer.  Mesothelioma is in the lining around organs, particularly the lungs, and its only known cause is asbestos exposure.  Lung cancer can be caused by a number of things including just bad luck.

 

Mesothelioma is very aggressive and expected lifespan after onset of symptoms is usually about a year.  My uncle died of it this week, about 10 months after being diagnosed, and I’ve learnt more about it in that time than I ever want to.

Sorry for your loss, condolences to you and yours.

 

I'd add after a good night's sleep that there's plenty of BBC presenters and people who passed through the various studios still living today to very ripe old ages - I know, they have been on my lists for years! As I said earlier, sometimes you accept your lot and make the best of it while you can, not whinge about why you've got an illness. I never had Esther down as a "poor me" type. But that's the message coming over to me from these articles.

[maryportfuncity 10,657]

5 hours ago, YoungWillz said:

Sorry for your loss, condolences to you and yours.

 

I'd add after a good night's sleep that there's plenty of BBC presenters and people who passed through the various studios still living today to very ripe old ages - I know, they have been on my lists for years! As I said earlier, sometimes you accept your lot and make the best of it while you can, not whinge about why you've got an illness. I never had Esther down as a "poor me" type. But that's the message coming over to me from these articles.

 

Aye, the previously ubiquitous Michael Barratt (died aged 94), Frank Bough (died aged 87) and Michael Aspel (still going at 90) all spent longer on screen in those absestos riddled buildings than our Esther. Just sayin'

 

[Ulitzer95 12,654]

Esther is now the the last living person from this famous interview... but not for long.

[Kenny 283]

Bernard Manning was a vile, racist pig who destroyed himself. Thankfully, Ester has outlived him by many years.

 

She outclassed him too but that would not be difficult for anyone with moral integrity and average intelligence.

[maryportfuncity 10,657]

15 hours ago, Kenny said:

Bernard Manning was a vile, racist pig who destroyed himself. Thankfully, Ester has outlived him by many years.

 

She outclassed him too but that would not be difficult for anyone with moral integrity and average intelligence.

 

 

So, minority opinion re Manning here but...

 

I feel about him the way I do Vegas period Elvis, a massive talent working with material well beneath himself and simply too ready to go for the easy and plentiful dosh rather than push himself and create a legacy worthy of his gift. All the worse becuase - occasionally - Bernard and Elvis could pull something out in their least inspired gigs that clearly showed what they had if they only chose to use it. Elvis could stagger through a Vegas show and throw in "You Gave me a Mountain" or "How Great Thou Art" to wipe the floor with anyone. Bernard had a handful of truly surreal and inspired gags that showed the racountership that the likes  of Billy Connolly were trading in, that eventually cut the market for Manning's club comedy. There was a cracking long-form gag he did in the clubs that showed up on one video back in the VHS days which involved a skint couple taking a holiday, everything goes wrong from the start to the point they're on a plane that's barely airworthy and the pilot comes down the aisle with a white stick and guide dog. The couple tackle the pilot about whether he's up to the job at which point he tells them that planes fly by instruments most of the time and he's safe because the one moment his skills are really required is take off and as a blind person his hearing is particularly good so as the plane heads down the runway he knows to pull the stick when he hears the passengers scream "Oh fucking hell, no!!!"

[Philheybrookbay1 247]

Given she went very public with the stage 4, she's gone very quiet. Even the soundbites on Parkie could be just the family. 

 

Half expecting to wake up to a BBC alert to be fair now saying she's gone 

[The Old Crem 3,608]

I notice she is still writing columns in the Telegraph about stuff such as shopping, 

[Sean 6,337]

7 minutes ago, The Old Crem said:

I notice she is still writing columns in the Telegraph about stuff such as shopping, 

Not a classic end of life sign is that.

 

[Sean 6,337]

Hoping she makes 2024 for the sake of my DDP short-list.