'Goodbye and thank you': Esther Rantzen's farewell letter asks friends to donate to Dignitas after her death at 86
From the Newshound archive · first published 1 October 2026.
Dame Esther Rantzen, who founded Childline in 1986 and championed the Assisted Dying Bill, died on Wednesday at her New Forest home, weeks after MPs narrowly rejected the legislation.
Dame Esther Rantzen wrote a poignant farewell letter before her death at 86, asking friends and supporters to donate to Dignitas, Oakhaven Hospice and Cats Protection in her memory. She died on Wednesday evening surrounded by family at her home in the New Forest, having been diagnosed with stage-four lung cancer in 2023. Her family released the letter at her request, saying she had wanted it made public after she passed.
The letter closed: 'Perhaps I will see you eventually, on the other side. I do hope so.'
Rantzen, the founder of Childline and longtime 'That's Life!' presenter, had become a leading voice for assisted dying after her diagnosis.
Her family described her as 'the most wonderful mother' and 'cherished grandmother' with an 'endless capacity for joy.'
