Prime Minister Andy Burnham paid tribute to Dame Esther Rantzen as she died aged 86 following her battle with lung cancer. The Childline founder, who was terminally ill with cancer, first revealed in December 2023 that she had joined the Dignitas clinic. She announced she had joined Dignitas about a year after being diagnosed with stage four lung cancer.
However, earlier this month she said she was now "too physically fragile" to travel to Switzerland to end her life at an assisted dying clinic. Rantzen's death was confirmed after her family paid tribute to the former broadcaster and campaigner who first joined the BBC as a trainee sound effects assistant.
Burnham's tribute
On his social media, Burnham wrote: "Very sad to hear that Dame Esther Rantzen has died. Through her decades of campaigning, including founding Childline and The Silver Line, she changed countless lives and gave a voice to people who often went unheard.
"And I will always admire the characteristic courage and openness with which she spoke about her illness, making us all think about the difficult questions we face at the end of life. My thoughts are with her family and all who loved her."
Further tributes flood in
Other tributes have flooded in for Rantzen, including Scottish TV host Lorraine Kelly who paid tribute to the "funny, forthright and fabulous" Dame Esther Rantzen. The 66-year-old, from Glasgow, wrote a comment beneath an Instagram post about the death of the broadcaster and campaigner aged 86.
Kelly wrote: "Sad news – a pioneer and a force of nature. Helped so many people – funny, forthright and fabulous. Thoughts with all her family and many friends."
Age UK chief executive Paul Farmer said: "On behalf of everyone at Age UK I would like to share our heartfelt condolences with Dame Esther Rantzen's family and friends after the very sad news that Esther has died.
"Esther was a true inspiration and spent her life working tirelessly to help others. After founding The Silver Line Helpline in 2012, now part of Age UK, she has helped to support thousands of lonely older people, making sure they have someone to talk to whenever they might need it.
"Her dedication and commitment to older people is unrivalled and her legacy will carry on through The Silver Line Helpline's work. We can never thank her enough."
