Broadcaster and Childline founder Esther Rantzen dies at 86

Dame Esther Rantzen, the broadcaster and charity campaigner who presented That’s Life! and founded Childline, died on September 30, 2026, aged 86, her children announced. Her family described her as a beloved mother and grandmother and asked for privacy as they grieve. The reports do not establish the cause or precise circumstances of her death. Rantzen was best known for hosting the BBC consumer affairs programme That’s Life! from 1973 to 1994. The show brought consumer complaints and investigations to a broad audience and later took up social issues, including child abuse. A programme feature prompted a surge of calls from children seeking help, leading Rantzen to establish Childline, which launched in 1986 as a helpline for children in danger or distress. She later founded The Silver Line, a telephone support service for older people experiencing loneliness. The family said her work with charities and campaigns for children, older people and terminally ill people had been central to her life. Rantzen’s television career also included a BBC Two talk show, Strictly Come Dancing and I’m a Celebrity...