Rebecca Wilcox has broken her silence following the death of her mother, Dame Esther Rantzen, describing the broadcaster and campaigner as the family's "irreplaceable everything" and thanking the public for the outpouring of tributes.
Dame Esther died on Wednesday at the age of 86. In a message shared on Instagram, Rebecca said the family had been reading the many messages they had received, although they had not always been able to respond.
Instagram tribute
Rebecca wrote: "Mum was our irreplaceable everything. Thank you for all the messages. Please know we're reading them all but can't always reply.
"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 following: @childline @thesilverline @dignityindying @oakhavenhospice and importantly @catsprotection.
"I'm taking a break from things, but will see you all again soon."
Family statement
Her message came after Rebecca, Miriam Wilcox and Joshua Wilcox announced the death of their mother in a joint statement. The three children described Dame Esther as their "adored mother" and said her "legacy of compassion and understanding" would live on through the charities she established and the people fortunate enough to have known her.
The family said: "We are grateful she is finally at rest with her beloved husband, Desmond Wilcox, but we will miss her immeasurably. She was our sunshine."
The siblings said they would remember their mother for her "endless capacity for joy", her ability to "comfort every heartache", her "beautiful way with words" and her "expert guidance in all things".
They said: "We have been so lucky for so long, no matter how much time we had with Mum it could never be enough, but we are so grateful for our lives together."
Career and campaigning
The family also highlighted how important Dame Esther's campaigning and charitable work had been to her. They said: "Mum's work with charities and campaigning, particularly for children, older people, and the terminally ill, meant the world to her."
The three children thanked everyone who had written to their mother, shared their stories with her or worked alongside her during her extraordinary career. They said: "We hope the humour, ingenuity and audacity she brought to her work may continue to inspire you as it will do us."
Dame Esther became one of Britain's best-known broadcasters during a career spanning decades, most famously presenting the BBC consumer affairs programme That's Life! from 1973 until 1994. Her work on the programme helped inspire her to establish Childline in 1986, providing a 24-hour helpline for children in danger or distress. She later founded The Silver Line in 2012 to combat loneliness among older people.
Dame Esther was made a dame in 2015 for services to children and older people through her charitable work. In her later years, she became a prominent campaigner for assisted dying after being diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in 2023. She openly discussed her intention to travel to Switzerland for an assisted death, but earlier this month revealed she had become "too physically fragile to make the journey".
Her death prompted tributes from across Britain, with Prime Minister Andy Burnham praising the "characteristic courage and openness" with which she had spoken about her illness. Dame Esther was married to television producer and documentary maker Desmond Wilcox, who died in 2000. Her family said she was now "finally at rest" with her beloved husband, but stressed how immeasurable the loss was for those left behind.
