Dame Esther Rantzen Remembered as 'Inspirational' Broadcaster and Fearless Campaigner After Death at 86

Dame Esther Rantzen, the veteran broadcaster who became one of Britain's most recognizable television personalities and later a tireless campaigner on child welfare and assisted dying, 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.

Rantzen was best known for presenting the BBC consumer affairs programme That's Life! for 21 years, a show that combined investigative journalism with entertainment and at its peak drew audiences of more than 20 million viewers. The programme gave her a platform that she used to shine a light on injustice and to campaign on issues ranging from safety standards and organ donation to bullying.

Shaun Friel, director of Childline, the children's helpline Rantzen founded in the 1980s, described her as "an inspirational individual" who was "quite a force" as a campaigner. Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he said she had a rare ability to inspire, energise and persuade people, combining a sharp journalistic mind with a natural instinct for getting things done.

Rantzen established Childline in 1986 after the programme featured a series of reports on child abuse and neglect, and she realized that many young people had nowhere to turn for help. Friel said the legacy she created through the helpline was "quite incredible", adding that she had changed the way society viewed children and young people.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham led the political tributes, saying the veteran broadcaster had "changed countless lives". He said he would always admire the courage and openness with which she spoke about her terminal illness, noting that her willingness to discuss such difficult questions had made the whole country think about the challenges people face at the end of life.

BBC director general Matt Brittin described Rantzen as a "legend of British broadcasting" whose contribution to public life was "immeasurable". He said the warmth, spirit and fight for justice that viewers saw on their screens continued long after her programmes ended, through a lifetime of campaigning that changed the lives of millions of people.

Tributes also came from fellow broadcasters and public figures. Money saving expert Martin Lewis called her an "inspiration" and a "pioneer" whose impact and memory would "long continue to shine". Dame Elaine Paige praised her as a "great broadcaster, journalist and campaigner", highlighting the role of both Childline and The Silver Line in supporting vulnerable people.

Chris Sherwood, chief executive of the NSPCC, which took over the running of Childline in 2006, said Rantzen had gone to "exceptional lengths" to ensure children and young people across the UK had somewhere to turn when they needed help. Her work on the helpline remains one of the most enduring parts of her public legacy.

Beyond Childline, Rantzen founded The Silver Line in 2013 to help older people suffering from isolation and loneliness. The charity offered a confidential telephone service for older people, reflecting her long-standing concern for groups that she felt were too often overlooked by society.

In the later years of her life, Rantzen became a prominent campaigner for the legalisation of assisted dying. She had been terminally ill with lung cancer and in 2023 revealed that she had joined Dignitas, the Swiss assisted dying clinic. Last month, she said she had become "too physically fragile to make the journey".

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 the broadcaster would continue to inspire campaigners fighting for a change in the law.

Baroness Jan Royall, the 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. She described her as an extraordinary and compassionate woman who brought about change for the better, and said she had a "wicked sense of humour" and a "zest for life".

Baroness Royall said that zest for life was what drove Rantzen to try to improve people's lives through Childline and The Silver Line, as well as through her campaigning on assisted dying. Bill Buckley, her co-presenter on That's Life!, told BBC Radio 4's Front Row that "nothing would stop her" when it came to a cause she believed in, saying she followed her goals doggedly.

Anton Du Beke, who was 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, calling her "the ultimate breaker of the glass ceiling" and saying she would be greatly missed.

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". The message accompanied a video in which she described Rantzen as an inspiration to girls growing up, while presenter Amol Rajan said she had "changed the course of millions of lives" and was an inspirational, strong woman ahead of her time.

Rantzen's career and campaigning spanned more than five decades, and her influence extended well beyond television. From exposing consumer injustices on That's Life! to building lasting institutions such as Childline and The Silver Line, she leaves behind a legacy defined by a determination to turn public attention into practical help for those in need.