'Childline was the favoured sibling': Esther Rantzen's daughter speaks at charity's 40th anniversary

From the Newshound archive · first published 8 October 2026.

Rebecca Wilcox told guests at Childline's 40th anniversary event in London that her mother Dame Esther Rantzen loved the charity more than her own children from the very start. The event took place one week after Dame Esther died aged 86 following a cancer diagnosis. Spice Girl Geri Halliwell-Horner, a Childline ambassador, said Dame Esther had "worked tirelessly" to found the charity and "would want us to honour her work".

Rebecca Wilcox said she got on the train to the event because she needed "to be reminded that there's good in the world".

Halliwell-Horner said she first encountered Dame Esther's work after the death of her friend George Michael in 2016.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham paid tribute to Dame Esther, saying she "changed countless lives and gave a voice to people who often went unheard".