Jeremy Paxman says Parkinson's battle is 'one of the most depressing things you ... trends now
Jeremy Paxman has said living with Parkinson's is 'one of the most depressing things you could ever imagine' because it only gets worse.
The former University Challenge and Newsnight presenter was diagnosed with the degenerative disease back in 2021 and stepped down as the host of University Challenge.
The TV presenter, 73, has said his condition has now worsened to the point where he's had to stop writing his magazine column after five years.
He considered going to the Dignitas assisted suicide clinic in Switzerland, but decided not to, as it would be 'very hard on those left behind'.
Speaking candidly in an interview with Saga magazine, he said Parkinson's is 'tough' knowing that 'one will carry on being like this forever'.
He added: 'PD may not be listed as my cause of death, as people don't technically die of it, but it will almost certainly be a contributing factor'.
Jeremy Paxman, 73, delivers the Movers & Shakers 'Party Charter' petition to Parliament
Paxman (left) pictured for BBC's Newsnight with comedian Harry Enfield
Jeremy Paxman was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2021
Figures from December 2023 revealed that more than 530 Brits had ended their life with Dignitas since the world's foremost euthanasia clinic opened in the late 1990s.
The not-for-profit clinic offers doctor-assisted suicide to any patient battling terminal or severe illnesses.
Under current British law, the practice is illegal and carries a 14-year prison term. As such, dozens of desperate Brits choose to travel abroad to end their suffering.
Actress Diana Rigg, star of Game of Thrones and The Avengers TV series, made an impassioned plea for the implication of the assisted dying law before her death from cancer in 2020.
Dame Esther, 83, revealed at the end of last year that she has stage four lung cancer and has joined the Dignitas assisted dying clinic in Switzerland.
She has called for a vote to make assisted dying legal in the UK, after multiple crown dependencies including Jersey and the Isle of Man took steps towards legalising it.
She was joined by Carol Vorderman and Nicola McLean who also shared their support for legislation to allow terminally ill patients to take their own lives.
Dame Esther Rantzen, 83, who was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer last year, led a chorus of dismay after a much-anticipated report by MPs into assisted dying failed to deliver any clearcut findings or proposals
The Dignitas assisted suicide clinic in Zurich, Switzerland (pictured)
Jeremy Paxman began his broadcasting career on the BBC's graduate trainee programme in 1972.
He started in local radio at BBC Radio Brighton before moving to Belfast where he reported on The Troubles.
In 1977 he moved to London and transferred from the Tonight programme to Panorama.
Paxman became the presenter of Newsnight in 1989 where he interviewed politicians and celebrities including Tony Blair, Russell Brand, George Osborne and Boris Johnson.
The former journalist spoke about his Parkinson's diagnosis for the first time in an ITV documentary back in 2022.
Paxman pictured hosting University Challenge in 2004
