Childline founder and legendary broadcaster Dame Esther Rantzen has died at the age of 86 after battling cancer, as her children announced in a joint statement.
BBC Breakfast paid tribute to Esther Rantzen on Thursday’s programme(Image: BBC)
BBC presenters Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty reflected on Dame Esther Rantzen’s life.
The 86-year-old is best known for presenting shows such as That’s Life! and for founding Childline, as well as campaigning to legalise assisted dying in the UK. In 2023, she revealed she had joined Dignitas, the Swiss assisted dying clinic, after being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer.
Sadly, her children confirmed in a joint statement that their mother had died on September 30, stating they will ‘miss her immeasurably.’ During Thursday’s (October 1) instalment of BBC Breakfast, presenters Naga Munchetty and Charlie Stayt took a moment to pay tribute to the broadcaster and reflect on her career.
Naga said: “Many tributes have been made for the broadcaster and campaigner Dame Esther Rantzen, who has died at the age of 86.”
Charlie added: “She became a household name presenting and producing the BBC programme That’s Life for more than 20 years. Our culture editor Katie Razzell looks back at her extraordinary life.”
BBC viewers were then shown a compilation of clips of Esther’s broadcasting career, including some hilarious snippets from her time on That’s Life, alongside her investigating other serious issues.
One segment saw a clip from her former co-star Adrian Mills, who said: “At the time, the three most powerful people in the country were probably, The Queen, Margaret Thatcher and Esther Rantzen, not necessarily in that order.”
Actress and comedian Miriam Margolyes added, “She just wouldn’t let anything get in the way of work. She was determined, very ambitious and somehow generous.”
A poignant moment in the tribute was a past interview with Esther herself as she commented, “I don’t expect to be remembered.
When you stop appearing on television, people assume you’ve died. My physical death, no doubt, will happen long after people have said, ‘Wasn’t she Esther Rantzen?’
One of the last campaigns Esther was fighting for was the assisted dying bill, which was rejected in Parliament on September 11.
The BBC played a clip of Esther speaking with her daughter, Rebecca Wilcox, on the phone to share her thoughts on the MP’s decision.
She said: “I am sure a change in the law will come, I am deeply sad that it won’t come soon enough for many of the people who need it.”
BBC Breakfast is available to watch weekdays on BBC One from 6am