Esther Rantzen Recounts Defining Moment on That’s Life! When She Reunited Sir Nicholas Winton with Survivors

In February 2024 Dame Esther Rantzen said that when she first contacted Sir Nicholas Winton—whom she called Nicky—she congratulated him on his extraordinary achievement.

Speaking to The Radio Times (external), she explained that he had expressed disappointment that “not enough” people had been saved. Dame Esther added that she was devastated by his feelings and was determined to show him that every life he had saved was precious.

To make that point, she invited him onto That’s Life. During his first appearance, his scrapbook was displayed on screen, and two women he had rescued as children—Vera Gissing and Lady Milena Grenfell‑Baines—revealed their identities live, sitting beside him unaware of the surprise. Dame Esther later called the moment “incredibly moving.”

Lady Milena Grenfell‑Baines is one of the UK’s most recognised Holocaust survivors. She left Prague with her younger sister Eva at the age of nine on a special train arranged by Winton, and the sisters were cared for by a family in Tameside until their mother arrived the following year after escaping via Norway.

Gissing, who was rescued from Prague in 1939 at the age of 11, lost most of her family during the Holocaust and eventually settled in the United Kingdom after the war ended.

“That was the only time in my career when I had to stop recording to wipe away my tears,” Dame Esther said.

After the broadcast, several viewers recognised themselves as Winton’s rescued relatives and contacted the production team, prompting an additional memorable segment.

In the following episode, she asked all those who owed their lives to him to stand. With Winton seated in the front row, he turned to see the entire floor of Television Theatre filled with people on their feet—a moment Dame Esther recalled as deeply poignant.

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