The World Tonight - Dame Esther Rantzen dies at 86 after lifetime of campaigning

Download Dame Esther Rantzen dies at 86 after lifetime of campaigning

Dame Esther Rantzen, who presented BBC show That's Life! for 21 years and launched the charity Childline, has died at the age of 86. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the veteran broadcaster and campaigner had "changed countless lives". We speak to colleagues from her professional career and her career in advocacy, as she campaigned to change the law on assisted dying.

Also on the programme: we hear the latest on what the Israeli government is calling an attempted hijacking of an airliner; French President Macron's 'welcome back' message to the possibility of the UK re-joining the EU, and cellist Steven Isserlis illustrates why the 300th birthday of his Stradivarius is worth celebrating.

Published on Wednesday, 30th September 2026.

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