Dame Esther, best known for presenting the BBC show That’s Life! and launching the charity Childline, had been suffering from lung cancer

Dame Esther Rantzen , the broadcaster and campaigner, has died at the age of 86.

Dame Esther, who is best known for presenting the BBC show That’s Life! for 21 years and launching the charity Childline, revealed in May 2023 that she was undergoing treatment for stage four lung cancer .

Announcing her death, Dame Esther’s family paid tribute to the “most wonderful mother” and “cherished grandmother” who would be remembered for her “endless capacity for joy”.

Dame Esther’s family described her as the ‘most wonderful mother’ and ‘cherished grandmother’

Credit : Television Stills

Dame Esther was a vocal supporter of the Assisted Dying Bill , claiming in March that most people “want and need” the right to end their own lives.

When the bill was defeated in the House of Commons in September, as MPs voted 286 to 270 against the legislation, she called it a “tragic day”.…