Dame Esther Rantzen has died at the age of 86. The broadcaster and campaigner was widely known for her long-running television work and for founding a national helpline for children. In later years she also became a public advocate on the issue of assisted dying, drawing attention to end-of-life debates.
Across a career that brought consumer and social issues into living rooms, BBC audiences recognised her as the face of That’s Life, the programme she fronted for two decades. The show’s mix of consumer investigation, human-interest reporting and campaigning helped establish her public profile and influence on broadcasting standards and audience expectations.
Outside television, she is celebrated for establishing Childline, a confidential helpline for children in distress. The service grew from her determination to create practical support for young people in need and became a prominent part of the UK’s child protection landscape, prompting new attention to how media and policy respond to vulnerable children.
Her later years were marked by engagement with sensitive public policy discussions, notably campaigning for changes to laws on assisted dying and participating in wider debates about autonomy and care at the end of life. Colleagues and public figures are expected to reflect on a career that combined mass-media reach with organised social action. Her death closes a chapter in British broadcasting history and renews attention to the causes she championed.