Esther Rantzen, legendary ‘That’s Life!’ host, dies at 86
Dame Esther Rantzen, the BAFTA-winning British television presenter best known for hosting “That’s Life!” and founding Childline, died Wednesday, Sept. 30, at 86. Her children confirmed Esther Rantzen’s death in a statement to the PA news agency, according to Deadline.
Rantzen announced in January 2023 that she had been diagnosed with lung cancer, and she became a prominent campaigner for legalizing assisted dying. British lawmakers rejected an assisted dying bill for England and Wales 286-270 on Sept. 11.
Esther Rantzen’s family statement
Rantzen’s children, Miriam Wilcox, Rebecca Wilcox and Joshua Wilcox, announced the death of their “adored mother” in a statement to PA.
“Our adored mother, Dame Esther Rantzen, died today,” the family said. “Her legacy of compassion and understanding will live on in her charities Childline and the Silverline, and through those of us who were lucky enough to love and be loved by her.”
The family added that Rantzen is “finally at rest with her beloved husband, Desmond Wilcox,” who died in 2000, and asked for privacy as they grieve. “She was our sunshine,” they said. “We will always remember her endless capacity for joy, her ability to comfort every heartache, her beautiful way with words and her expert guidance in all things.”
A long career in British television
Rantzen hosted “That’s Life!” on the BBC for 21 years, from 1973 to 1994. The show mixed consumer complaints, comedy and hard-hitting human interest stories.
One of the program’s most famous segments reunited humanitarian Nicholas Winton with Jewish children he had rescued from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia. That moment was later dramatized in the Anthony Hopkins film “One Life,” in which actor Samantha Spiro played Rantzen.
Beyond “That’s Life!” Esther Rantzen was a familiar face to British audiences, competing on “Strictly Come Dancing” in 2004 and “I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!” in 2008.
Honors and charity work
Rantzen was the first woman to receive BAFTA’s Richard Dimbleby Award, according to her official website. She was made a dame in the 2015 New Year Honours for services to children and older people through Childline and The Silver Line.
She founded Childline, the confidential helpline for young people in the U.K., in 1986. She launched The Silver Line, a support service for older people, in 2012. Her children said that legacy “will live on” through those organizations.
What’s next
The family has asked for privacy and time to grieve, and no funeral details have been announced. Rantzen’s children said they hope “the humour, ingenuity and audacity she brought to her work may continue to inspire” fans, as it will her family.
Reporting from Deadline and ITV News contributed to this story.
Featured image: Photo: Number 10 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)