LONDON, England — Esther Rantzen, the influential British television presenter whose broadcasting work led to the creation of two major support charities, died Wednesday at 86, her family announced.
Rantzen was best known for presenting the British Broadcasting Corporation program That’s Life! from 1973 to 1994. The consumer-affairs and current-events program regularly drew audiences of 15 million to 20 million viewers and used investigations, public appeals and humor to bring attention to issues that were often receiving little television coverage.
Her work extended beyond the screen. After a program about child abuse generated an overwhelming response to a temporary telephone line, Rantzen founded Childline in 1986 as a confidential support service for children and young people. She later founded The Silver Line to support older adults experiencing loneliness.
Rantzen also became a prominent advocate for assisted-dying legislation after publicly disclosing a terminal lung-cancer diagnosis in 2023. Her family’s announcement did not specify a cause of death.
In a family statement, her three children said her “legacy of compassion and understanding” would continue through her charities and the people influenced by her work. Rantzen is survived by her three children and five grandchildren.
Sources: Reuters; The Associated Press.