Dame Esther Rantzen dies aged 86 after cancer battle

Dame Esther Rantzen, the veteran British broadcaster and prominent campaigner, has died at the age of 86. She passed away following a battle with stage four lung cancer, which she had publicly disclosed in 2023.

Rantzen was a household name in the United Kingdom, best known for hosting the BBC consumer affairs programme ‘That’s Life!’ for 21 years between 1973 and 1994. Her work on the show led to the founding of the charity Childline in 1986, a vital support service for young people. She also established The Silver Line in 2012 to combat loneliness among the elderly.

In her final years, Rantzen became a highly visible advocate for the legalisation of assisted dying in England and Wales. After her terminal diagnosis, she spoke openly about her desire to use the services of Dignitas in Switzerland, though she later noted she became too physically fragile to make the journey. Her family released a statement describing her as a “cherished grandmother” and a woman of “endless capacity for joy.”