Dame Esther Rantzen, broadcaster and campaigner, dies aged 86

Summarised from 12 outlets · 41 reports · Updated 2 Oct, 11:38 · Archive

Dame Esther Rantzen, the broadcaster who founded Childline and presented That's Life!, has died aged 86 after a battle with lung cancer.

Dame Esther Rantzen, the broadcaster and charity founder, has died aged 86 following a battle with lung cancer, which she was diagnosed with in 2023.

Rantzen was best known for fronting the BBC consumer affairs series That's Life!, which ran for over 20 years from 1973 to 1994 and attracted more than 20 million viewers at its peak. She also presented her own daytime talk show and the series Hearts of Gold, which focused on people responsible for outstanding acts of kindness.

Beyond her television career, Rantzen founded Childline, a youth counselling helpline, and later established The Silver Line, a similar service for elderly people in the UK. She was appointed a Dame Commander in recognition of these services.

Following her lung cancer diagnosis in 2023, Rantzen became a vocal and prominent advocate for changing the law around assisted dying in England and Wales. Her family has released a final letter written before her death, in which she thanked supporters for their help and said 'all good things must come to an end'.

Rantzen's family described her as 'the most wonderful mother' and said she will be remembered for 'her endless capacity for joy'. Fellow broadcasters and public figures, including Davina McCall and Anton Du Beke, paid tributes to her on social media, with many describing her as a 'national treasure'. Dignity in Dying, the campaign group, has pledged to continue fighting for assisted dying reform in her honour.

How it is being reported

• Dignity in Dying vow to fight bill knockback in Dame Esther Rantzen’s honourEXCLUSIVE: Dame Esther Rantzen became one of the most prominent public figures advocating for the reform of assisted dying legislation, and Dignity in Dying won't stop fighting for herThe Mirror · 1 Oct, 18:14
• Smashing glass ceilings, Strictly and a courageous final sign-off: Esther Rantzen’s 10 best TV momentsRantzen was one of the most powerful women in British television. From making vegetable innuendos to changing lives and bestowing her own medals on brilliant people – here are her finest small-screen moments • Dame Esther Rantzen obituary • Esther Rantzen: one of the UK’s boldest, bravest ever campaigners – right to the very end Esther Rantzen, who has died aged 86 , revolutionised three areas of TV: consumer journalism, the visibility of presenters and viewer participation. Hers was a remarkable career full of landmarks – and here are some of the highlights. Continue reading...The Guardian · 1 Oct, 17:49
• Esther Rantzen’s heartbroken daughter breaks silence after mum's death at 86Rebecca Wilcox paid an emotional tribute to Dame Esther after the 86-year-old broadcaster and campaigner died on Wednesday.Daily Express · 1 Oct, 12:59
• Esther Rantzen: one of the UK’s boldest, bravest ever campaigners – right to the very endWhen she got serious, she got very serious. The TV host boosted organ donations, closed down a school for abuse, founded two revolutionary helplines – and put assisted dying on the agenda for years to come • From Childline to changing TV for ever: Esther Rantzen’s revolutionary life • Esther Rantzen: from That’s Life! to Childline – in pictures By no means should That’s Life! have ever worked as a television programme. For more than 20 years it functioned as an absurd grab bag of features that at times seemed specifically designed to induce tonal whiplash in its viewers. To demonstrate this…The Guardian · 1 Oct, 12:09
• Esther Rantzen's finest hour: How That's Life presenter revealed amazing story of British hero who saved hundreds of children from the Nazii's in one of TV's finest-ever momentsBeyond her charity work, Dame Esther's most pivotal career moment was the spotlight she shone upon one of the Second World War's most unsung heroes.Daily Mail · 1 Oct, 11:42
• 'Goodbye And Thank You': Esther Rantzen's Family Shares Touching Letter Written Before Her DeathEsther Rantzen pictured in 2018 Dame Esther Rantzen ’s family has shared a poignant “goodbye” letter written by the late TV personality before her death. The veteran presenter and campaigner was diagnosed with stage-four cancer in 2023 , after which she became a vocal advocate for assisted dying . Following the news of her death on Wednesday night at the age of 86, Dame Esther’s family shared a letter she’d written, that the presenter had wanted to be made public after she died. “I am so sorry I cannot send you each individual thanks for the fun, the support and the help you have been to…HuffPost UK · 1 Oct, 10:56
• Share your tributes and memories of Esther RantzenWe would like to hear your tributes and memories of TV presenter and Childline founder Esther Rantzen – whether you met her, or appreciated her work Esther Rantzen, the Bafta-winning TV presenter and founder of Childline, has died aged 86 . She announced lung cancer diagnosis in 2023 and became a vocal campaigner to change the law around assisted dying . Ranzten hosted That’s Life! for 21 years from 1973 until 1994, which drew more than 20 million viewers at its peak. She presented Hearts of Gold in 1988, a series focusing on people responsible for outstanding acts of kindness, and hosted…The Guardian · 1 Oct, 10:55
• Adrian Mills praises co-star Dame Esther Rantzen’s ‘incredible legacy’The broadcaster and campaigner has been remembered by a host of celebrities following her death aged 86.Evening Standard · 1 Oct, 10:29
• Dame Esther Rantzen's emotional goodbye letter revealed following death: 'All good things must come to an end'The veteran TV presenter, known for shows such as That’s Life, revealed she had stage four lung cancer in 2023Evening Standard · 1 Oct, 08:29
• Tributes paid to 'inspirational' presenter and charity founder Esther RantzenDame Esther Rantzen was "an inspirational individual", the director of her Childline helpline says.BBC News · 1 Oct, 08:04
• Dame Esther Rantzen, Veteran Broadcaster And Campaigner, Dies Aged 86Esther Rantzen in 2008 Broadcaster, journalist and campaigner Dame Esther Rantzen has died at the age of 86. The TV personality was best known for fronting the BBC consumer affairs series That’s Life! for more than 20 years, as well as presenting her own self-titled daytime talk show. She was also the founder of the youth counselling service Childline and, more recently, a similar service offered to elderly people in the UK known as The Silver Line. Following her diagnosis with lung cancer in 2023, Dame Esther became a vocal advocate for assisted dying , and just last month, shared her…HuffPost UK · 1 Oct, 07:37
• Dame Esther Rantzen captivated 22 million viewers - but grew up in a house without a TV. Then when they got one it was kept in the hall so it didn't spoil conversationBack in the 1980s, the story went that there were three properly powerful women in Britain: Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, the Queen, and Esther Rantzen.Daily Mail · 1 Oct, 01:42
• Davina McCall and Martin Lewis remember ‘national treasure’ Esther RantzenThe broadcaster and campaigner died aged 86.Evening Standard · 1 Oct, 00:10
• Dame Esther Rantzen’s moving final farewell message revealed: ‘See you on the other side’‘Sadly, all good things come to an end,’ the former TV presenter said in a final message to her fansThe Independent · 1 Oct, 00:03
• Davina McCall and Anton Du Beke lead emotional tributes to 'national treasure' Dame Esther Rantzen after broadcaster's death aged 86Davina McCall and Anton Du Beke were among the stars to bid farewell to 'national treasure' Dame Esther Rantzen on social media after her death aged 86.Daily Mail · 30 Sept, 23:24
• Davina McCall and Martin Lewis remember ‘national treasure’ Esther RantzenThe broadcaster and campaigner died aged 86.Evening Standard · 30 Sept, 23:03
• Veteran broadcaster Dame Esther Rantzen dies aged 86Rantzen, who fronted the BBC's That's Life for two decades, went on to found Childline, and in recent years had been a campaigner for assisted dying.BBC News · 30 Sept, 22:30
• Anton Du Beke hails ‘extraordinary career’ of ‘wonderful’ Esther RantzenThe broadcaster and campaigner has died aged 86.Evening Standard · 30 Sept, 22:14
• Elaine Paige and Lorraine Kelly lead tributes to ‘pioneer’ Esther RantzenTributes have poured in for broadcaster and campaigner following the news of her death aged 86.Evening Standard · 30 Sept, 21:36
• Leave your tributes to legendary broadcaster and campaigner Esther Rantzen hereDame Esther Rantzen has died aged 86.Daily Express · 30 Sept, 21:04
• Elaine Paige and Lorraine Kelly lead tributes to ‘pioneer’ Esther RantzenTributes have poured in for broadcaster and campaigner following the news of her death aged 86.Evening Standard · 30 Sept, 20:35
• Dame Esther Rantzen’s family pay tribute to ‘our sunshine’ after her death at 86Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Dame Esther had ‘changed countless lives and gave a voice to people who often went unheard’.Evening Standard · 30 Sept, 20:34
• From Childline to changing TV for ever: Esther Rantzen’s revolutionary lifeBe it her pioneering approach to consumer injustice or her extraordinary tackling of systemic social issues, the broadcaster was at the forefront of what television could be Esther Rantzen’s early CV reads like a chronicle of the world working as the 1960s thought it should. A smart young woman, privately educated in north London from the age of 10 (the Rantzens had previously lived in New York), then at Somerville College, Oxford, she started on the bottom rung and had exactly the right mixture of graft and luck. Having trained as a radio studio manager, she got her first TV production job…The Guardian · 30 Sept, 20:01
• Dame Esther Rantzen: A presenter who campaigned for changeThe veteran broadcaster was appointed a Dame Commander in recognition of the two helpline services she set up.BBC News · 30 Sept, 20:00
• Esther Rantzen tells fans 'see you on the other side' in heartrending final noteThe beloved late presenter penned a note to family, friends and supporters calling on them to 'celebrate' her life following news of her death from cancer at age 86The Mirror · 30 Sept, 20:00
• In Pictures: Esther Rantzen, the formidable campaigner for young and oldDame Esther Rantzen took up unfashionable causes after becoming first known for presenting whimsical show That’s Life.Evening Standard · 30 Sept, 19:33
• Dame Esther Rantzen issues heartbreaking final letter as she dies aged 86The assisted dying campaigner issued a poignant farewell.Daily Express · 30 Sept, 19:32
• Dame Esther Rantzen dies age 86 after lung cancer battleThe former That's Life! presenter's family said in a statement she will be remembered for 'her endless capacity for joy'The i Paper · 30 Sept, 19:13
• Dame Esther Rantzen: That's Life! presenter, Childline founder and campaigner for assisted dyingThe broadcaster fronted That's Life! for two decades, and became a prominent campaigner for assisted dying after being diagnosed with lung cancer.BBC News · 30 Sept, 19:10
• Dame Esther Rantzen became a key figure in the assisted dying conversationA debate in Parliament in April 2024 saw Dame Esther singled out for the contribution she had made to the public discourse.Evening Standard · 30 Sept, 19:07
• In Pictures: Esther Rantzen, the formidable campaigner for young and oldDame Esther Rantzen took up unfashionable causes after becoming first known for presenting whimsical show That’s Life.Evening Standard · 30 Sept, 19:07
• Esther Rantzen obituary: Veteran broadcaster and Childline founder who campaigned for assisted dyingDame Esther, who was terminally ill with cancer and receiving end-of-life care, said it was too late for her to "buzz off" to Dignitas as planned as MPs voted on the assisted dying bill once againThe Mirror · 30 Sept, 19:07
• Esther Rantzen, broadcaster and campaigner, dies aged 86 after lung cancer battleShe was best known for presenting the BBC Show That's Life!Daily Express · 30 Sept, 19:06
• Dame Esther Rantzen dies aged 86, heartbroken family announceShe has become a leading voice for the assisted dying bill in England and Wales (Picture: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire) Dame Esther Rantzen has died aged 86 after years of campaigning to implement assisted dying in the UK. The TV broadcaster was called the ‘most wonderful woman’ by her heartbroken…Metro · 30 Sept, 19:05
• TV presenter and assisted dying campaigner Dame Esther Rantzen dies aged 86The former That’s Life! presenter founded Childline and campaigned for legalising assisted dying.Evening Standard · 30 Sept, 19:04
• Esther Rantzen, TV presenter and Childline founder, dies aged 86Rantzen announced lung cancer diagnosis in 2023 and became a vocal assisted dying campaigner Esther Rantzen, the Bafta-winning TV presenter and founder of ChildLine, has died aged 86. She announced a diagnosis of stage four lung cancer in 2023, and became a vocal campaigner to change the law around assisted dying . In September 2026, she announced she had to abandon plans to end her life in Swiss clinic Dignitas, due to being too physically frail . Continue reading...The Guardian · 30 Sept, 19:02
• Dame Esther Rantzen dies aged 86 after cancer battleHer family paid tribute to the ‘most wonderful mother’ and ‘cherished grandmother’ who will be remembered for her ‘endless capacity for joy’Evening Standard · 30 Sept, 19:02
• Dame Esther Rantzen dies aged 86 after battle with lung cancerHer family paid tribute to ‘the most wonderful mother’The Independent · 30 Sept, 19:00
• Broadcaster and campaigner Dame Esther Rantzen dead at 86Broadcaster and campaigner Dame Esther Rantzen has died at the age of 86, her family said in a statement.Daily Mail · 30 Sept, 18:58
• Esther Rantzen dies aged 86 following battle with lung cancerDame Esther, best known for presenting the BBC Show That’s Life! and launching the charity Childline, had been suffering from lung cancerThe Telegraph · 30 Sept, 18:54
• Broadcaster and campaigner Dame Esther Rantzen diesDame Esther Rantzen has died at the age of 86, her family said in a statement.Sky News · 30 Sept, 16:04

In this story: Dame Esther Rantzen · Childline · The Silver Line · BBC · Dignity in Dying

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