Dame Esther Rantzen, Childline founder and 'That's Life!' host, dies at 86 surrounded by family

From the Newshound archive · first published 2 October 2026.

Dame Esther Rantzen died on Wednesday at her New Forest home surrounded by loved ones, aged 86, after being diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in 2023. Her children Miriam, Rebecca and Joshua Wilcox called her "our sunshine" and said her "legacy of compassion and understanding will live on in her charities." Prime Minister Andy Burnham said she had "changed countless lives and gave a voice to people who often went unheard." Childline, which she founded in 1986, has spoken to six million children in four decades.

Childline Liverpool's Marian Blackburn called Dame Esther "kind, compassionate and formidable," vowing to carry on her work.

Davina McCall, Martin Lewis and Strictly's Anton Du Beke — Dame Esther's partner on the 2004 series — led celebrity tributes, calling her a "national treasure" and "pioneer."

Her 1988 'That's Life!' reunion of Sir Nicholas Winton with 669 Jewish children he saved from the Nazis remains one of British television's most celebrated moments.