Roger Daltrey ‘ready’ to die at any time: ‘People my age are in the way’

Roger Daltrey has made a candid admission about death (Picture: Matthew Baker/Getty Images)

Roger Daltrey is more than ready to die.

In fact, he reckons he’s ‘in the way’.

The London-born musician and co-founder of The Who, 79, has had his fair share of health woes in the past, having contracted viral meningitis while touring America in 2015.

After falling ill, he said he saw the ‘exit sign’ and genuinely didn’t believe he’d make it through, which appears to have shifted his attitude toward death.

‘I didn’t think I was coming back and I thought about my life,’ he said.

Daltrey added in a new interview with The Times: ‘My dreams came true so, listen, I’m ready to go at any time.

The Who music legend is ‘ready’ to die (Picture: Katja Ogrin/Redferns)

‘My family are all great and all taken care of.

‘You’ve got to be realistic. You can’t live your life forever.’

He added that ‘people my age, we’re in the way.’

‘There are no guitar strings to be changed on this old instrument.’

Daltrey also admitted that he would ‘consider’ joining the assisted dying organisation Dignitas should ill health make him a ‘burden’ on his loved ones.

He praised 83-year-old TV icon Dame Esther Rantzen, who revealed her stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis last year and who has since spoken about the option of assisted dying should her treatment fail to improve her condition.

‘I think she is incredibly brave to raise the subject and I’m kind of there too, so I have thought about it,’ Daltrey said.

Clarifying that he is not ill himself currently, he added: ‘No, but if I became a burden on everyone I’d consider it.

Daltrey recently stepped down from his role as curator of Teenage Cancer Trust (Picture: PA)

‘A good friend of mine, a lovely woodsman called Tom, he had stage 4 pancreatic cancer. If I had stage 4 pancreatic cancer I wouldn’t have chemo.

‘I’d take the morphine and go down.’

Daltrey recently announced that 2024 would be his final year as curator of Teenage Cancer Trust after 24 trailblazing years.

The music star will continue as a Teenage Cancer Trust Honorary Patron, following his tireless fundraising and advocacy for the charity for nearly a quarter of a century.

Before he bows out, however, he is spearheading one final hurrah, as Teenage Cancer Trust’s historic annual Royal Albert Hall concert series returns for a momentous year.

This time, the event – held at one of the world’s most prestigious concert venues – will celebrate the work of its founder and curator Daltrey.

For 22 editions, Daltrey has persuaded some of the greatest artists on the planet to perform unique, one-night-only gigs to raise money for Teenage Cancer Trust.

Daltrey praised Dame Esther Rantzen and admitted he, too, would be open to assisted dying options should he become seriously unwell (Picture: PA)

In turn, this has generated over £32million from ticket sales alone and helped to spread the word of the charity’s extraordinary work, far and wide.

The funds raised have been enough to pay for over one million hours of specialist care from Teenage Cancer Trust nurses, or 13 Teenage Cancer Trust hospital units.

In 2000, when the gigs began, Teenage Cancer Trust was a much smaller organisation with just five hospital units across the whole of the UK and far fewer nurses and youth support workers.

Speaking of the achievement, Daltrey said: ‘The £32million raised from these concerts has been the foundation for the 28 specialised units within the NHS, as well as specialist nurses and youth workers to be there for a young person when cancer has turned their world upside down.’

From 2025 after Daltrey bows out, Teenage Cancer Trust will be working with a series of guest curators to take the shows forward and into the future, continuing the vital work and once-in-a-lifetime nights.

But that doesn’t mean Daltrey isn’t going out in style.

Daltrey returns for one final Teenage Cancer Trust concert this year (Picture: Matthew Baker/Getty Images)

Plenty of stars have got involved over the years, including Ed Sheeran (Picture: PA)

For his 22nd year as the boss, an extraordinary line-up of some of the biggest and most acclaimed artists around has been announced, with tickets now on sale.

This includes three nights of celebrations of Daltrey himself, first with his band The Who, returning on Monday, March 18, and Wednesday, March 20 with an orchestra to mark how the concert series started in 2000, alongside very special guests, new wave rock legends, Squeeze, who are themselves celebrating their 50th anniversary this year.

Music fans can also enjoy performances from Noel Gallagher, Scottish group Young Fathers, iconic duo The Chemical Brothers, Blossoms, and more.

Tickets for Teenage Cancer Trust’s Royal Albert Hall concert series are on sale now via Gigs and Tours and Ticketmaster.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

MORE : New Girl fans crying and shaking as Jake Johnson and Zooey Deschanel reunite

MORE : Friends fan finds glaring blunder you can only see on a widescreen

The 79-year-old made a candid admission about death.