Dame Esther Rantzen Remembered as a Broadcasting Legend and Fearless Campaigner Following Her Death at 86

Dame Esther Rantzen, the broadcaster who became one of the most recognised faces on British television before devoting much of her life to charitable causes and public campaigning, has died at the age of 86. Her death was announced on Wednesday, prompting an outpouring of tributes from across the worlds of broadcasting, politics and charity, with many describing her as a figure whose influence reached far beyond the screen.

Rantzen was best known for presenting the BBC consumer affairs programme That's Life! for 21 years, a show that combined investigative journalism with light entertainment and attracted more than 20 million viewers at its peak. But it was her work off camera, particularly in child welfare and later in the debate over assisted dying, that many of those paying tribute chose to highlight as her most lasting contribution.

Shaun Friel, director of Childline, the children's helpline Rantzen founded in the 1980s, described her as "an inspirational individual" and "quite a force" as a campaigner. Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he said she had a rare ability to motivate those around her. "She inspired people, she energised people, she persuaded people," Friel said. He added that she possessed "a great mind" along with an instinctive journalistic talent that she applied to causes she believed in.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham led the political tributes, saying the veteran broadcaster had "changed countless lives". Burnham also said he would "always admire the characteristic courage and openness with which she spoke about her illness, making us all think about the difficult questions we face at the end of life". Rantzen had been terminally ill with lung cancer, a diagnosis she discussed publicly with the same directness that marked her campaigning work. In 2023 she revealed she had joined Dignitas, the Swiss assisted dying clinic, though last month she disclosed that she had become "too physically fragile to make the journey".

BBC director general Matt Brittin paid tribute to Rantzen as a "legend of British broadcasting" whose contribution to public life was "immeasurable". He noted that the warmth, spirit and determination for justice and action seen on screen continued long after her programmes ended. "With a lifetime of campaigning where she changed the lives of millions," he said. The sentiment was echoed by Martin Lewis, the consumer affairs expert and broadcaster, who called Rantzen an "inspiration" and a "pioneer" whose "impact and memory will long continue to shine".

Childline was established in 1986 after Rantzen featured a series of incidents involving child abuse and neglect on That's Life! and came to understand that many children had nowhere to turn for help. The helpline later merged with the NSPCC in 2006. Chris Sherwood, chief executive of the NSPCC, said Rantzen had gone to "exceptional lengths to ensure children and young people across the UK had somewhere to turn when they were in need of help". Friel said the legacy she created through Childline was "something quite incredible" and that she had fundamentally changed how society viewed children.

Rantzen's campaigning did not stop with young people. In 2013 she founded The Silver Line, a helpline aimed at older people experiencing isolation and loneliness. She also led campaigns on safety, organ donation and bullying. In the later years of her life she became one of the most prominent voices calling for the legalisation of assisted dying, a cause she pursued even as her own health declined.

Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP who sponsored the assisted dying bill, told the BBC that Rantzen was a "wonderful mix of strength and feistiness, but also really deep compassion and kindness". She said Rantzen would continue to inspire campaigners working on the issue. Baroness Jan Royall, former leader of the House of Lords and a friend of Rantzen, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that she was a "formidable" person and "an extraordinary, compassionate woman, a passionate woman" who "brought about such change in our world, change for the better". Baroness Royall added that Rantzen had "a wicked sense of humour" and a "zest for life" that drove her efforts to improve people's lives.

Tributes also came from the entertainment industry. Bill Buckley, who co-presented That's Life! with Rantzen, told BBC Radio 4's Front Row that "nothing would stop her" when it came to campaigning, saying she "saw the light at the end of the tunnel and followed it doggedly". Dame Elaine Paige, the West End star known for roles in productions such as Cats and Evita, praised a "great broadcaster, journalist and campaigner", highlighting the role of both Childline and The Silver Line in supporting vulnerable people.

Anton Du Beke, Rantzen's partner on Strictly Come Dancing in 2004, shared a photograph of the pair dancing together and said they had "remained firm friends" ever since. He praised her "breadth of knowledge and passion" and described her as "the ultimate breaker of the glass ceiling". Davina McCall wrote on Instagram that Rantzen had "made the world a better place, and inspired so many of us to do better and live life to its fullest". Presenter Amol Rajan said she "changed the course of millions of lives" and called her "an inspirational, strong woman ahead of her time".

Rantzen's career began in journalism before she became a household name through That's Life!, a programme that gave her a career-defining platform and demonstrated how television could be used to expose wrongdoing and mobilise public opinion. The show's mixture of hard-hitting reports and popular appeal allowed her to bring issues such as child protection into millions of living rooms, and she used that visibility to press for practical solutions, most notably the creation of Childline.

Her decision to speak openly about her terminal illness and her support for assisted dying added a further chapter to a public life already defined by difficult subjects. By joining Dignitas and then acknowledging she was no longer physically able to travel to Switzerland, she brought the realities of dying into public conversation at a time when the issue remains deeply contested in Parliament and society at large. Her willingness to discuss her own mortality was widely praised as an act of characteristic honesty.

The breadth of tributes, from prime ministers and charity leaders to fellow broadcasters and entertainers, reflects a career that spanned decades and crossed traditional boundaries between journalism, entertainment and activism. Rantzen's supporters argue that her greatest achievements were measured not in viewing figures but in the number of children who found someone to talk to, the older people who found companionship, and the public debates she helped to shape. Her family, friends and colleagues are now left to consider a legacy that, in the words of several of those paying tribute, will continue to influence British public life for years to come.