Dame Esther Rantzen: Tributes paid to ‘inspirational’ presenter and Childline founder

Dame Esther’s That’s Life! co-presenter Bill Buckley told the BBC’s Radio 4 Front Row programme that “nothing would stop her” when it came to campaigning.

“She saw the light at the end of the tunnel and followed it doggedly,” he said.

Dame Elaine Paige, known for her roles in West End productions like Cats and Evita, paid tribute to a “great broadcaster, journalist and campaigner”.

She said: “Her Childline, the confidential counselling service for young people in distress, helped so many children and The Silver Line was aimed at older people suffering loneliness and isolation.”

Anton Du Beke, Dame Esther’s partner on Strictly Come Dancing, shared a photo of the pair dancing together in the 2004 series, writing that the two had “remained firm friends” ever since.

He praised her “breadth of knowledge and passion” and called her “the ultimate breaker of the glass ceiling”, adding: “She will be greatly missed and my sincere thoughts are with her family.”

Davina McCall wrote on Instagram that Dame Esther had “made the world a better place, and inspired so many of us to do better and live life to its fullest.”

The message accompanied a video of the former Big Brother host discussing how Dame Esther was an “inspiration to girls like me when we were growing up”.

Presenter Amol Rajan said Dame Esther “changed the course of millions of lives” as he paid tribute, calling her “an inspirational, strong woman ahead of her time”.

“Not bad for a bright, Hertfordshire girl born during the early stages of the Second World War.”

Watch BBC media editor Katie Razzall’s half-hour special programme Esther! on iPlayer. It will also be shown this Friday, 2 October, on BBC One at 19:30 BST.