Broadcaster and Childline founder Esther Rantzen dies aged 86
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Dame Esther Rantzen, the pioneering broadcaster and founder of Childline, has died aged 86 following a battle with lung cancer. Her death comes as a significant moment in the assisted dying debate in England and Wales, where she had become a prominent campaigner for legalisation, having announced plans to travel to Dignitas in Switzerland. Her legacy includes establishing major charities to support both young and elderly people, and her family emphasised that her compassion and joy would continue through those organisations.
Rantzen had been diagnosed with lung cancer in January 2023 and passed away at her home in the New Forest, surrounded by family. She had joined Dignitas in December 2023 but revealed in recent weeks that she was too physically fragile to make the journey to Switzerland as originally planned. Her death occurred just weeks after the Assisted Dying Bill, which she had strongly supported, was narrowly defeated at its second reading in the House of Commons. In a final message written before her death, she requested donations to Dignitas, Oakhaven Hospice in Lymington, and Cats Protection.
- Beloved broadcaster Dame Esther Rantzen dies aged 86 from lung cancer
- Prominent assisted dying campaigner; the bill she supported was recently defeated
- Her charities Childline and The Silver Line will continue her legacy
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Esther Rantzen was a prominent British broadcaster and charity founder, best known for establishing Childline in 1986, a free telephone counselling service for children and young people. Over several decades, she became a widely recognised public figure in the UK, using her media profile to champion causes related to child welfare and support for elderly people.
In recent years, Rantzen became a notable advocate for changing English law to permit assisted dying for terminally ill people. After being diagnosed with lung cancer in 2023, she publicly announced her intention to travel to Switzerland to use the assisted dying service Dignitas, bringing significant public attention to the debate about whether the UK should legalise such provision.
Her death comes shortly after Parliament voted down the Assisted Dying Bill, a proposed law that would have allowed terminally ill people in England and Wales to request medical assistance to end their lives. The timing has intensified the debate, with supporters of legalisation pointing to her case as an example of why the law should change.
More coverage
- BBC Entertainment — Dame Esther Rantzen: That's Life! presenter, Childline founder and campaigner for assisted dying
- The Guardian — Esther Rantzen, TV presenter and Childline founder, dies aged 86
- Deadline — Dame Esther Rantzen Dies: BAFTA-Winning British TV Presenter Was 86
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Dame Esther Rantzen is dead at 86: Family pays tribute to broadcaster and campaigner who will be remembered for her ‘endless capacity for joy’”.