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Broadcaster and Childline Founder Dame Esther Rantzen Has Died Aged 86
- Broadcaster and Childline founder Dame Esther Rantzen has died aged 86 following a lung cancer diagnosis. Known for hosting a BBC consumer affairs show for 21 years, she was a prominent campaigner for children and older people.
- Alongside her television work, Dame Esther founded Childline in 1986 and The Silver Line in 2013 to support vulnerable children and elderly people. Queen Elizabeth made her a DBE in 2015 for her extensive charity services.
- In a statement, her family paid tribute to the "most wonderful mother" and "cherished grandmother" who will be remembered for her "endless capacity for joy." She is survived by three children: Rebecca, Miriam, and Joshua Wilcox, and five grandchildren.
- During her lung cancer diagnosis, Dame Esther became a prominent voice for assisted dying, joining Dignitas in December 2023. She stated: "I think it's important that the law catches up with what the country wants."
- In September 2026, ahead of a Parliament vote on assisted dying, Dame Esther became too physically fragile to travel. She branded the Bill's defeat a "tragic day," expressing anguish at loved ones witnessing her suffering during end-of-life care.
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Campaigning UK journalist Esther Rantzen dies at 86
UK broadcaster Esther Rantzen, a campaigning, trailblazing journalist who forged a career in the male-dominated world of 1970s television, died on Wednesday, her family announced. She was 86. She had long channelled her campaigning talents into groundbreaking helplines for kids and the elderly as well as a law on assisted dying. Rantzen had fought a long battle with terminal lung cancer, and up to the end had pleaded for the UK parliament to pas…
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Total News Sources107
Leaning Left20Leaning Right7Center65Last UpdatedBias Distribution71% Center
Bias Distribution
- 71% of the sources are Center
71% Center
L 22%
C 71%
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