It is with great affection and sadness that Somerville College marks the passing of Dame Esther Rantzen (1959, English), honorary fellow of Somerville College, whose life and work embodied our College’s commitment to courage, compassion and public service.
Dame Esther Rantzen
Born in 1940 in London, Esther was the eldest daughter of Katherine Rantzen and Henry Rantzen. She was educated first in New York, until 1950, and then at North London Collegiate School, an all-girls independent school in Edgware, North London. Esther came up to Somerville College, Oxford, in 1959, to read English, where she was taught by the noted eighteenth-century literary scholar Mary Lascelles, under the Principalship of Dame Janet Vaughan.
At Oxford, Esther was an active performer, acting with the Oxford University Dramatic Society (OUDS) and becoming Secretary of the Experimental Theatre Club (ETC). She recalled Somerville itself fondly, saying, “It was unsnobbish, it was egalitarian, it was a bit left wing, it was a bit… out there… Somerville is essentially tolerant and broad-minded. It celebrates diversity of all kinds.”
While still a student at Somerville, Esther was recruited into the BBC. She made rapid progression from a trainee sound effects assistant to a clerk, then a researcher. Esther’s break came when she moved to the popular consumer watchdog programme, Braden’s Week, hosted by Bernard Braden. Braden had the idea of putting researchers on screen, and Esther gained immediate popularity as a presenter. After Braden decided to return to his native Canada in 1972, to present a similar TV show for Canadian audiences, the BBC replaced Braden’s Week the following year with That’s Life!, with Rantzen as the main presenter.
Esther Rantzen speaking about Somerville for its 140 Celebrations
It was at That’s Life! that Esther’s talent for storytelling, empathy with everyday struggle and instinct to challenge injustice began to converge. The programme ran on BBC1 for 21 years from 1973 to 1994, becoming one of the most popular shows on British television, reaching audiences of more than 18 million. During that time, That’s Life evolved beyond the traditional role of a consumer programme exposing faulty washing machines to investigating life-and-death issues. From campaigns for organ donation to the unforgettable episode in which Esther introduced Nicholas Winton, organiser of the Kindertransport, to some of the hundreds of Jewish children, now adults, whom he had helped save from the Holocaust, That’s Life! established itself as urgent, essential viewing for the nation.
Esther’s far-reaching legacy grew directly from her work on That’s Life. In 1986, after a harrowing investigation into child abuse revealed the desperate need for a confidential helpline for young people, Esther founded Childline. What started as a tentative idea became a vital resource, literally overnight, after thousands of children called in on the first night that lines were opened. Childline went on to support millions of young people across the United Kingdom and beyond, offering protection, counsel and hope. It fundamentally transformed how society listens to and safeguards children.
When made a Dame of the British Empire in 2015, Dame Esther Rantzen chose as her motto “IF NOT NOW WHEN”
After That’s Life! ended, Esther led campaigns to raise awareness of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and was the creator of the ‘Children of Courage’ segment for BBC’s Children in Need. In 1991, she was awarded an OBE for services to broadcasting.
Alongside her public profile, Esther remained a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. In 1977 she married the film producer Desmond Wilcox. Following Desmond’s death in 2000, she made a landmark programme on palliative care. Informed by her own experiences, Esther next committed herself to exposing another hidden crisis: loneliness among older people. In 2013 she founded The Silver Line, a free helpline offering companionship and support to older individuals, particularly those living alone. As with Childline, the charity was rooted in Esther’s belief that being heard can be lifesaving.
In her final years, following her own diagnosis with terminal illness, Esther showed characteristic bravery in advocating for a change in the United Kingdom’s law on assisted dying. She argued that compassion, autonomy and dignity should guide end-of-life care. Whether or not one agreed with her position, none could doubt the sincerity or courage with which she pursued it. Even in the face of profound personal challenge, she sought to advance public debate for the benefit of others.
Our former Principal, Baroness Jan Royall, spoke with BBC Radio 4 about her experiences of working with Esther, both through Somerville and in the House of Lords. “She was just formidable, an extraordinary, compassionate woman. Her amazing zest for life, her love of life, drove her to care about other people’s lives, creating lasting change in our world.”
When made a Dame of the British Empire in 2015, Dame Esther Rantzen chose as her motto “IF NOT NOW WHEN”. This stands as a fitting epitaph to Esther’s lifelong belief that change is possible – it only depends on everyday people like us to make it happen. Her life stands as a vivid testament to the transformative power of empathy allied with action, and the Somerville community mourns her death with gratitude for all she gave, and with pride in an alumna who so fully realised the College’s highest ideals.
Esther died at home surrounded by members of her family on 30th September 2026. She is survived by her three children with Desmond Wilcox, Miriam, Rebecca and Joshua (the latter two of whom also came to Somerville), and by her five grandchildren.
. Esther Rantzen speaking to former Principal Jan Royall in 2020 about navigating Covid lockdown, her memories of Somerville and the role of charities