Understand
Childline Liverpool staff pay tribute following the death of Dame Esther Rantzen
Overview
Staff at Childline Liverpool have expressed deep sadness following the death of the charity's founder, Dame Esther Rantzen, at the age of 86. Dame Esther, who also presented the BBC show That's Life! and founded Silver Line for isolated elderly people, died on Wednesday after being terminally ill with lung cancer. Tributes have poured in from figures including Prime Minister Andy Burnham, highlighting her immense legacy of supporting millions of children and vulnerable people.
Key points
- Dame Esther Rantzen has died at the age of 86 following a terminal lung cancer diagnosis.
- She founded the child counselling service Childline in 1986, which has supported six million children over 40 years.
- Marian Blackburn, a team leader at Childline Liverpool, paid tribute to her as 'kind, compassionate and formidable'.
- Dame Esther also presented BBC One's That's Life! for 21 years and established the Silver Line charity for elderly people.
- Prime Minister Andy Burnham was among those paying tribute, stating that she had 'changed countless lives'.