Dame Esther Rantzen remembered as 'inspirational' broadcaster and tireless campaigner

Dame Esther Rantzen, the veteran broadcaster who founded Childline and later became a prominent voice for assisted dying reform, has died at the age of 86, prompting an outpouring of tributes from across British public life.

Her death was announced on Wednesday. She had been terminally ill with lung cancer, a diagnosis she discussed openly in her final years.

Shaun Friel, director of Childline, described her as "an inspirational individual" who was "quite a force" as a campaigner. Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he said she had a natural journalistic ability and a gift for mobilising others around a cause. "She inspired people, she energised people, she persuaded people," he said, adding that she possessed "a great mind."

Rantzen was best known for presenting the BBC consumer affairs programme That's Life! for 21 years, a role that made her one of the most recognisable faces on British television. At its peak the show drew audiences of more than 20 million viewers. Prime Minister Andy Burnham led the political tributes, saying the veteran broadcaster had "changed countless lives."

BBC director general Matt Brittin called her a "legend of British broadcasting" whose contribution to public life was "immeasurable." He noted that the warmth, spirit and fight for justice she displayed on screen continued long after her programmes ended, through a lifetime of campaigning that altered the lives of millions.

Fellow broadcaster Martin Lewis described her as an "inspiration" and a "pioneer," saying her impact and memory would "long continue to shine." Dame Elaine Paige, the West End star, praised her as "a great broadcaster, journalist and campaigner," highlighting both Childline and The Silver Line as lasting monuments to her concern for people at opposite ends of life.

Chris Sherwood, chief executive of the NSPCC, which now runs Childline, said Rantzen had gone to exceptional lengths to ensure children and young people across the UK had somewhere to turn in times of need. She established the helpline in 1986 after featuring cases of child abuse and neglect on That's Life! and recognising that many children had no one else to contact. The service merged with the NSPCC in 2006.

Friel said the legacy she created with Childline was "something quite incredible," crediting her with changing how society viewed children. He recalled that when she decided something had to be done, she became a formidable presence.

Beyond child welfare, Rantzen founded The Silver Line in 2013 to support older people experiencing isolation and loneliness. Over the decades she also led campaigns on safety, organ donation and bullying, building a reputation as a campaigner who could translate public concern into practical change.

In her later years she became a leading advocate for the legalisation of assisted dying, drawing on her own illness to argue for greater choice at the end of life. In 2023 she revealed she had joined Dignitas, the Swiss clinic, but last month said she had become too physically fragile to make the journey.

Burnham said he would always admire the courage and openness with which she discussed her illness, describing how she made the country confront difficult questions about the end of life. Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP who sponsored the assisted dying bill, told the BBC that Rantzen was a wonderful mixture of strength and feistiness alongside deep compassion and kindness, and predicted she would continue to inspire campaigners.

Baroness Jan Royall, former leader of the House of Lords and a friend, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that Rantzen was a formidable figure. She described her as an extraordinary and compassionate woman who brought about change for the better, and said she possessed a wicked sense of humour and a zest for life that drove her efforts on behalf of others.

Bill Buckley, who co-presented That's Life! with Rantzen, told BBC Radio 4's Front Row that nothing would stop her when she took up a cause, saying she saw light at the end of the tunnel and followed it doggedly. Anton Du Beke, her dance partner on Strictly Come Dancing in 2004, shared a photograph of the pair and said they had remained firm friends, praising her breadth of knowledge and passion and calling her the ultimate breaker of the glass ceiling.

Davina McCall said on Instagram that Rantzen had made the world a better place and inspired many to live life to its fullest, while presenter Amol Rajan said she had changed the course of millions of lives and was an inspirational, strong woman ahead of her time. The breadth of the tributes, spanning broadcasting, charity and politics, reflected a career that moved seamlessly from entertainment into public service.