James Whale, 69, noted radio host and Celebrity Big Brother contestant, has rejected assisted suicide in his battle against cancer. Bioethicist Dr Anthony McCarthy of Bios Centre, London, said: “Mr Whale’s opting out of assisted suicide is brave and commendable. His decision to seek treatment for his cancer, rather than ceding to despair, sends a positive, life-affirming message to others in a similar situation.”

James Whale, host of The James Whale Show on TalkRADIO, has revealed that he considered assisted suicide after his recent cancer diagnosis, two weeks ago, which showed that his kidney cancer had returned after twenty years and spread to his brain, spine and lungs. “I came home, had a little think about things. I decided I’m just booking myself a trip to Dignitas. You might as well just go and get it over with.”

Mr Whale was first diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2000, which led to the removal of a kidney and his founding of the James Whale Fund for Kidney Cancer in 2006, later becoming Kidney Cancer UK.Two years ago, his wife, Melinda Whale, died from lung cancer.

After considering assisted suicide as a response to his demoralising 2020 diagnosis, Mr Whale later decided to receive immunotherapy and hormone replacement treatment. Giving an update on his condition, Mr Whale said:

“I haven’t got a proper prognosis yet because it’s very early days, but this immunotherapy is a very new way of treating cancer – it gets the immune system to attack the tumours.

“I’m probably going to be on tablets for the rest of my life but I’ve gone from being like a little shrunken, old man in the chair who’s not eating and could hardly walk up the stairs, to where I can run upstairs.”

By avoiding chemotherapy, Mr Whale hopes that his treatment will allow him to return to his weekdayevening show with fellow co-host Ash Gould as soon as possible.

“Assisted Suicide is never the right answer”

Mr Whale’s treatment is being led by Professor Thomas Powles of Barts Cancer Centre, London, responsible for tumour research. “I think you can put off your trip to Dignitas for a little while”, Professor Powles told Mr Whale.

Dr McCarthy said: “Assisted suicide is never the right answer, and especially not when treatment is readily available, as it is in the case of Mr Whale. And even those who cannot be treated can benefit hugely from palliative care. Medicine is the art of healing. It cares for patients and does not end their lives.”

Assisted suicide in the UK is not permitted by law. However, every year, dozens of UK citizens travel to a Dignitas clinic in Switzerland where they obtain physician-assisted suicide.

Dr McCarthy continued: “Offering death, not support, as a solution is a counsel of despair. There are more suicides of all kinds in places where assisted suicide is allowed. Mr Whale’s first instinct to seek death, rather than treatment, is a commentary on where we are as a society right now.

“It is important that we push back against such despair and support those who, after a difficult and sometimes shocking and traumatic diagnosis, are not driven to assisted suicide underwritten by the state.”

He added, “On a personal note, I have been interviewed by James a number of times and very much enjoyed his sometimes abrasive and confrontational style. He always allowed time for guests to voice their points and pursued arguments in amusing and interesting directions. I very much hope he gets the best care available and hope and pray for a good outcome for him and his loved ones.”

Here is Dr McCarthy’s first interview with James Whale: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkHu-75rlPI