UK TV presenter, assisted dying campaigner Esther Rantzen dies aged 86
30.09.2026, dpa
British broadcaster and campaigner Esther Rantzen has died aged 86.
The former presenter, known for hosting shows such as "That’s Life!," established charities to help the young and old, and in recent years became a prominent voice in the attempt to legalize assisted dying in England and Wales.
Rantzen was “the most wonderful mother,” a “cherished grandmother,” and someone who will be remembered for “her endless capacity for joy,” her family said in a statement paying tribute.
She died surrounded by family at her home in the New Forest, a spokesperson confirmed.
Dame Esther hosted BBC consumer affairs show "That’s Life!" for 21 years from 1973 to 1994, which led to her setting up Childline in 1986, to provide counselling services for young people.
She later launched The Silver Line in 2012, which aims to tackle loneliness in older people.
In later life Rantzen became a strong proponent for assisted dying, after she was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in 2023.
She openly discussed her plan to “buzz off to Zurich” to have an assisted death at Dignitas and criticized the “messy and cruel” law in England and Wales which would criminalize loved ones who tried to help.
But in September 2026, ahead of a vote by members of parliament (MPs) which would see efforts to legalize assisted dying defeated in the UK parliament, Rantzen shared that it was now too late for her to travel, as she had become “too physically fragile to make the journey.”
She told of her anguish at loved ones seeing her “suffering pain or indignity” while she received end-of-life care and expressed sadness when the assisted dying bill fell – branding it a “tragic day.”
Dame Esther first became a star fronting "That’s Life," the magazine show she helped devise, which featured reports on consumer affairs often blended with satire.
The show was a ratings hit and became one of the most popular programmes on British television, expanding the traditional role of the consumer programme to investigating life-and-death issues, such as a boarding school employing paedophiles and a lack of organ donors,
She founded Childline, a helpline for children in danger or distress, after a temporary helpline open for viewers impacted by a programme about a toddler who had starved to death was swamped with callers.
The calls mainly came from children suffering sexual abuse they had never been able to disclose to anyone else, giving Rantzen the idea for a specific helpline for children, open 24/7 throughout the year.
In a statement, her children Miriam, Rebecca and Joshua Wilcox said: “Our adored mother Dame Esther Rantzen died today.
“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.
“We are grateful she is finally at rest with her beloved husband, Desmond Wilcox, but we will miss her immeasurably. She was our sunshine.
“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.
“She was the most wonderful mother to us three children and a cherished grandmother to her five treasured grandchildren. We have been so lucky for so long, no matter how much time we had with Mum it could be never be enough, but we are so grateful for our lives together.
“Mum’s work with charities and campaigning, particularly for children, older people, and the terminally ill, meant the world to her so thank you to everyone who has written to her, shared their stories with her over the years and worked alongside her.
“We hope the humour, ingenuity and audacity she brought to her work may continue to inspire you as it will do us.
“We kindly ask that we are given privacy and time to grieve.”
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