Sir David Attenborough supports assisted suicide and would take his own life if it became too ‘wretched’, he revealed yesterday.

The broadcaster, 89, argued that those who are in pain and want to end their lives should be allowed to do so.

He said: ‘When you see poor people, poor in the sense of having some wretched disease, pleading for their lives to be brought to an end ... It’s difficult to think that they don’t deserve to have that right.’

Sir David Attenborough supports assisted suicide and would take his own life if it became too ‘wretched’, he revealed yesterday

Sir David’s comments come amid ongoing debate over whether the right to die should be enshrined in UK law.

He has aligned himself against the political establishment, given that in September MPs voted against allowing assisted dying.

However, Sir David has common ground with Professor Stephen Hawking, 73, who recently said keeping someone alive against their will is ‘the ultimate indignity’.

The physicist, who has motor neurone disease, added that he would consider taking his own life if he had ‘nothing more to contribute’.

Sir David’s remarks have prompted reaction from those on both sides of the debate, with some branding them ‘sad’ and others claiming they are ‘in line with the overwhelming majority of the British public’.

The broadcaster made the comments while raising concerns about the world’s growing population and its impact on climate change.

The discussion also saw him argue that families should stop having ‘excessive’ numbers of children – and he branded the Catholic church’s stance against contraception an ‘extraordinary blind spot’.

Asked if he supported the right to die, Sir David told Radio 4’s Costing the Earth programme: ‘I suppose I do really, but [only] if you could solve all the problems of dealing with the misuse of such a right’

Asked if he supported the right to die, Sir David told Radio 4’s Costing the Earth programme: ‘I suppose I do really, but [only] if you could solve all the problems of dealing with the misuse of such a right’.

Asked if he would ever consider ending his own life, he said: ‘I think if I was compos mentis and I was really having a wretched life.’

Last night a spokesman for pressure group Care Not Killing said: ‘I think it’s sad that such a much loved figure would make comments like that, but he has clearly recognised that there are very real dangers with changing the laws around assisted suicide and euthanasia.’