Dame Esther Rantzen's daughter Rebecca Wilcox has urged the public to donate to charities close to her mother's heart in memory of the late broadcaster, who died on Tuesday aged 86 after a three-year battle with lung cancer.
Posting a picture of a carefree Dame Esther on a rope swing surrounded by a carpet of bluebells, Rebecca, 46, described the outpouring of love and affection shown to her mother as "beautiful" and asked mourners to help her memory live on by supporting her favoured causes.
Favourite charities named
She said: "Mum was our irreplaceable everything. Thank you for all the messages. Please know we're reading them all but can't always reply. Thank you for the beautiful tributes. If you wanted to remember her I know her charities would appreciate any donation you felt like giving. Her favourites included, but were not limited to, the Childline, The Silver Line, Dignity in Dying, Oakhaven Hospice and importantly Cats Protection."
Rebecca accompanied her emotional Instagram post with the words: "Make a vow to yourself that every single day of your life, you will have fun - something that makes you laugh, something that gives you pleasure, something that you giggle about."
Broadcasting legacy remembered
Dame Esther became a household name after hosting That's Life! and went on to set up charities helping the young and old. She was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in 2023 and afterwards led the fight to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales.
Her former That's Life! co-star Adrian Mills, 70, revealed he first saw Dame Esther's legendary campaigning zeal when she highlighted the scourge of child abuse. He said: "The first I knew about it was Esther wrote the script on Friday and said 'I'm putting something in the script and I'd like you to read it'.
"It was from a young boy who was being severely abused. I read that letter out (and) the following week we received, not one or two, but thousands of letters from children all over the country. Esther said, 'I am going to do something about this and no one is going to stop me' and goodness me, what a legacy that is. There are very few broadcasters who are known only by one name. Her legacy is incredible."
Close friend and fellow broadcaster Gloria Hunniford, 86, said: "There was never anybody like Esther and there probably never will be again."
Tributes from family and charities
Dame Esther's late husband Desmond Wilcox, with whom she had three children Rebecca, Miriam, and Joshua, died from heart disease in 2000. Joshua is now a cardiovascular clinical researcher and registrar in London. She was also a beloved grandmother to Benji, Xander, Teddy, Florence and Romilly.
In a joint statement Dame Esther's children said: "Our adored mother's legacy of compassion and understanding will live on in her charities Childline and The Silver Line, and through those of us who were lucky enough to love and be loved by her. We are grateful she is finally at rest with her beloved husband, but we will miss her immeasurably. She was our sunshine. We will always remember her endless capacity for joy, her ability to comfort every heartache, her beautiful way with words and her expert guidance in all things."
Dame Esther was patron or vice president of 15 charities and an ambassador for the British Heart Foundation. Chief executive Dr Charmaine Griffiths said: "After losing her beloved husband to heart disease Esther turned her own experience of grief into a determination to help others. She gave her time, energy and voice to us for many years, helping raise awareness of heart disease and supporting the search for better treatments and cures through research. She took the time to meet BHF-funded researchers in their labs, learn about their work and champion the hope that research brings to people and families affected by cardiovascular disease."
Childline, the charity she set up in 1986 to protect vulnerable children, was later absorbed into the NSPCC which said it "provided a lifeline to children who were being abused". It added: "Esther knew there would always be children who needed us to be there for them and she wanted to make sure Childline could continue running forever. By donating or leaving a dedication in her memory, you can help us continue her legacy."
Paul Farmer, boss of Age UK, said: "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 helpline's work. We can never thank her enough."
BBC director-general Matt Brittin described her contribution to the BBC and public life as "immeasurable". Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Dame Esther had "changed countless lives and gave a voice to people who often went unheard".
