Eamonn Holmes has told his family to take him to a suicide clinic if he is diagnosed with dementia.
The ‘This Morning’ co-host – who has 16-year-old son Jack with his wife and fellow TV presenter Ruth Langsford, and three other kids from his former marriage – insists he would rather die than lose his "dignity" and see his life deteriorate.
He said: "It’s what everyone dreads. It’s a long, lonely walk – one I would never want to go on.
"I genuinely say to all my children and my wife, ‘Take me to Switzerland and press the red button. That is what I want.’
"I have no desire to lose my dignity. I just don’t want that to happen to me. However controversial that may sound, that is my genuine wish."
Eamonn has called for the UK to change the law on assisted suicide – which is currently illegal – because he believes people should be able to die "as they want".
He said: "I don’t understand this country. The constant excuse not to let people die as they want.
"The questions asked are to protect the few, ‘What about the weak? What about the vulnerable? What about the rest of us?’
"Everyone has the right to live as they like, but when it comes to death we put restrictions on that.
"If you have at least two doctors who agree with the diagnosis, it should be your choice."
Eamonn has made his wishes clear to his family after watching his auntie’s life "deteriorate" for 10 years due to the disease.
Speaking to Best magazine, he added: "I’m pretty sure two of my uncles, my grandfather on my dad’s side, and my aunt, Phyllis – who died last year – all had it.
"You watch them deteriorate. I watched my aunt for 10 years."
Eamonn recently admitted he is keen to raise awareness of a potential link between dementia and hearing loss, and said he feels "liberated" while he is wearing hearing aids.
He said: "These days, I’m frustrated when I don’t have my aids with me. I feel liberated by them.
"Anything that flags up a health condition such as dementia has to be taken seriously.
"Early intervention in so many conditions can either prevent decline, or preserve better health for longer."
Eamonn Holmes would rather die than suffer from dementia
