Dame Esther Rantzen, broadcaster and Childline founder, dies aged 86

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Dame Esther Rantzen, the renowned British broadcaster, campaigner and founder of Childline, has died aged 86.

Rantzen, who became a household name as the presenter of the BBC television programme That’s Life!, died on Wednesday after living with terminal lung cancer.

Her family described her as the “most wonderful mother” and a “cherished grandmother”, while NSPCC chief executive Chris Sherwood praised her for leaving an “extraordinary legacy”.

Rantzen founded Childline in 1986, creating a confidential helpline where children could seek help and support, particularly those experiencing abuse, neglect or other difficulties.

Through the initiative, she helped millions of children and became widely recognised for her contribution to child protection in the UK.

Campaign for assisted dying

After being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in 2023, Rantzen became a prominent campaigner for the legalisation of assisted dying.

She revealed that she had registered with the Swiss assisted-dying organisation Dignitas, explaining that she wanted to have control over the circumstances of her death and spare her family what she described as a potentially painful final period.

However, earlier this month, she said she had become too physically fragile to travel to Switzerland to end her life.

“Everything I didn’t want to happen I’m having to go through now,” she said.

Rantzen continued to campaign for a change in the law, arguing that terminally ill people should have the option of assisted dying.

She stressed that her campaign was about personal choice and that she did not want to impose her decision on others.

Television career

Rantzen began her television career in 1968 when she joined the BBC consumer programme Braden’s Week as a researcher. She later made her first on-screen appearance on the programme.

Following Bernard Braden’s departure from the BBC in 1972, the programme was relaunched the following year as That’s Life!, with Rantzen chosen as its main presenter.

The programme, which launched in May 1973, quickly became a major television hit.

Initially focused on consumer complaints about poor services and faulty products, That’s Life! later developed into a broader programme featuring unusual stories, investigations and entertaining segments.

Among its popular features was the “Jobsworth” award, which highlighted what the programme considered excessive bureaucracy, while “Heap of the Week” featured faulty household appliances being destroyed in creative ways.

One of the programme’s most memorable moments came in 1988, when Rantzen told the story of Nicholas Winton, who had helped rescue 669 children from Czechoslovakia before the Second World War.

A lasting legacy

Beyond her television career, Rantzen became known for using her public profile to support causes affecting vulnerable people.

Her founding of Childline remains one of her most significant contributions, providing generations of children with a safe and confidential way to seek help.

Her death marks the end of a career that spanned decades across television, charity work and campaigning, leaving behind a legacy that continues through the organisations and causes she championed.

By: BBC.