Dame Esther Rantzen, Iconic Broadcaster and Campaigner, Dies at 86

Tributes have poured in from politics, broadcasting and the charity sector, acknowledging Dame Esther’s profound impact on public life.

The prime minister said he would “always admire her characteristic courage and openness in discussing her illness, prompting all of us to consider the difficult questions we face at the end of life.”

BBC director-general Matt Brittin described Dame Esther as a “legend of British broadcasting” whose contribution to public life was “immeasurable.”

“Her warmth, spirit and fight for justice and action that we saw on screen continued long after the show ended, as a lifetime of campaigning changed the lives of millions,” he said.

Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP who sponsored the assisted dying bill, told the BBC that Dame Esther was a “wonderful mix of strength and feistiness, yet also deep compassion and kindness” and would continue to inspire campaigners.

Chris Sherwood, the chief executive of the NSPCC, which operates the Childline helpline, said Dame Esther had gone to “exceptional lengths to ensure children and young people across the UK had somewhere to turn when they were in need of help.”

Dame Esther’s That’s Life! co-presenter Bill Buckley told BBC Radio 4’s Front Row programme that “nothing would stop her” when it came to campaigning.

“She saw the light at the end of the tunnel and followed it doggedly,” he said.

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