Dame Esther Rantzen, the veteran broadcaster and founder of Childline, died at her home in Bramshaw, New Forest, on 30 September at the age of 86. Diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in 2023, she expressed in a posthumous note that she felt "deprived of any choice over my own death" due to current laws prohibiting assisted dying in the UK. Despite receiving support from Oakhaven Hospice, she was unable to travel to Switzerland for assisted dying, highlighting her campaign for legal change.
Rantzen's family held a private funeral and plan a larger memorial service. Her daughter Rebecca Wilcox noted the global outpouring of support following her death. Dame Esther was known for presenting That's Life! for 21 years and establishing helplines such as Childline and The Silver Line. Her family has requested donations to charities including Oakhaven Hospice and Childline in her memory.
Read the full story: BBC UK News.
Source: BBC UK News. Aggregated summary, not independent reporting.