Esther Rantzen
Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England | |
---|---|
Education | |
Alma mater | Somerville College, Oxford |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1968–present |
Spouse | |
Children | 3, including Rebecca |
Dame Esther Louise Rantzen
Rantzen has been recognised for her contribution to television and society. She was awarded an
Early life and family
Rantzen was born in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England, to Katherine Flora Rantzen (née Leverson, 1911–2005) and Henry Barnato Rantzen (1902–1992). Her family is Jewish.[2] She has one younger sister, Priscilla N. Taylor. She attended Buckley Country Day School in New York, leaving in 1950. She was educated at North London Collegiate School, an all-girls independent school in Edgware, North London. She studied English at Somerville College, Oxford, where the Principal was Dame Janet Vaughan and one of her tutors was Mary Lascelles.[3] At Oxford she performed with the Oxford University Dramatic Society (OUDS), became Secretary of the Experimental Theatre Club (ETC) and joined the Oxford Theatre Group, performing in Oxford and Edinburgh.[4]
Rantzen was the subject of an episode of
Career
BBC
After training in secretarial skills, Rantzen was recruited by
In 1968, Rantzen, at the time a researcher for Braden's Week (hosted by Bernard Braden),[7] became a presenter because the producer of the programme decided to put the researchers onscreen. Braden decided to return to his native Canada in 1972, to present a similar TV show there; the following year, the BBC replaced Braden's Week with That's Life! with Rantzen as the main presenter.[7]
That's Life! ran on BBC1 for 21 years from 1973 to 1994,[8] becoming one of the most popular shows on British television, reaching audiences of more than 18 million.[7] During that time, it expanded the traditional role of the consumer programme from simply exposing faulty washing machines and dodgy salesmen, to investigating life-and-death issues, such as a campaign for more organ donors, which featured Ben Hardwick, a two-year-old dying of liver disease whose only hope was a transplant. Also included was the investigation of Crookham Court boarding school near Newbury, described as "dirty and depressing" with unsatisfactory teaching standards, the headmaster of which was a paedophile who employed several paedophile teachers. The school was closed and the head and a member of staff were convicted of sexual offences against pupils as a result of That's Life! publicising the issues.[9]
To lighten some of these very serious themes and issues, That's Life! also had some humorous spots, such as readings of amusing misprints sent in by viewers; it also featured comic songs that often matched the theme of each show, specially written and performed by artists such as Lynsey de Paul, Victoria Wood, Richard Stilgoe and Jake Thackray.[10]
In 1976, Rantzen devised the documentary series The Big Time, which launched Sheena Easton's singing career.[7]
Childline
That's Life! was influential in many different ways, not least in the introduction of the videolink for child witnesses in court procedures, and it was responsible for the launch of Childline in 1986, the first national helpline for children in danger or distress. Rantzen had suggested the Childwatch programme to BBC1 Controller Michael Grade after the death of a toddler who had starved to death, locked in a bedroom. The aim of the programme was to find better ways of detecting children at risk of abuse; to that end, viewers of That's Life! who had themselves experienced cruelty as children were asked to take part in a survey detailing the circumstances of their abuse.[7]
Rantzen suggested that after that edition of That's Life!, the BBC should open a helpline for children, in case any young viewers suffering current abuse wished to ring in to ask for help. The helpline was open for 48 hours, during which it was swamped with calls, mainly from children suffering sexual abuse they had never been able to disclose to anyone else. This gave Rantzen the idea for a specific helpline for children in distress or danger, to be open 24/7 throughout the year, the first of its kind in the world. The Childwatch team consulted child care professionals, who agreed that children would use such a helpline, but said it would be impossible to create. Nevertheless, the team obtained funding from the
The Childwatch programme screened on 30 October 1986 and, based on the results of the survey, launched Childline with a specially written jingle (by
The Silver Line
In 2013, Rantzen set up The Silver Line, a charity to benefit elderly people, by combating isolation and loneliness, to provide information and advice and to offer a free confidential helpline. In addition, The Silver Line offers a telephone befriending service, in which trained volunteers make regular weekly calls to older people. It also offers conference calls, discussion groups originally called Silver Circles.[7] It has now merged with AgeUK.
Later career
In 1988, Rantzen created a television series called Hearts of Gold, celebrating people who had performed unsung acts of outstanding kindness or courage.[12] Its theme tune was written by her close friend Lynsey de Paul, and was released as a single on the CBS record label.[13]
After That's Life! finished its 21-year run in 1994, she presented her own talk show,
In 2006, Rantzen took part in the BBC Two programmes Would Like to Meet and
Rantzen was for a time a director of That's Media, which provides local TV programmes. In 2016, she was made an Honorary Fellow of Somerville College, Oxford.[7]
In addition to her television career, as a patron or vice-president of 55 charities, she mainly concentrates on working for children, vulnerable older people and disabled people. Much of her voluntary effort has been for Childline as a volunteer counsellor on the helpline, and as a fund-raiser and spokesperson for children, and latterly working to set up The Silver Line, the new helpline for isolated and vulnerable older people. Childline currently has 12 centres around the UK, plus one virtual on-line base,1,500 volunteer counsellors and answers around a million calls and on-line contacts from children each year. Rantzen chaired Childline's board of trustees for twenty years, and since Childline merged with the NSPCC in 2006, she served as a Trustee of the NSPCC, as well as being President of Childline. In 2013, she also became the vice-president of Revitalise, a charity providing those with disabilities, and their carers, with short breaks and holidays.[16] Rantzen is also patron of Erosh, a national charity which promotes good quality sheltered and retirement housing and provides resources for its members who support older people.
Rantzen appeared in the 2008 series of ITV show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, and was the fifth celebrity to leave the camp.[17]
In 2016, she was in the first episode of Celebrity First Dates.[15]
In 2018, she presented a new Channel 5 consumer advice show called Esther Rantzen’s House Trap, a 4-part series similar to BBC's long-running Watchdog programme, with hidden cameras trying to trap rogue traders in the homes of a number of undercover actors. Unlike Watchdog, these actors were all people of an advanced age with each episode focusing on a different trade, such as locksmiths, where older people were likely to being preyed upon.[18][19][20]
Political career
On 26 May 2009, on
In August 2014, Rantzen was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to The Guardian expressing their hope that Scotland would vote against independence from the United Kingdom in the referendum on that issue.[24]
Savile child abuse allegations
In
She told Channel 4 News: "If anybody had had concrete evidence, I think and hope the police would have been called in. But all they had was gossip – and gossip isn't evidence."[26]
Abuse campaigner Shy Keenan, writing in The Sun newspaper, subsequently claimed that, using a different name, she had told Rantzen 18 years earlier of allegations that she had heard about Savile. Rantzen has denied hearing specific allegations and said she had no recollection of a conversation with Keenan.[27]
Writing for The Daily Telegraph before the broadcast, Katy Brand also criticised Rantzen for failing to act on rumours she had heard about Savile.[28] Pete Saunders, chief executive of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood, at Keenan's request, temporarily asked for all references to Rantzen to be removed from the charity's website, but subsequently defended Rantzen and said she would continue as a patron.[29]
Personal life
In 1966, at the age of 26, Rantzen had an affair with the Scottish politician Nicholas Fairbairn. She wrote:
"He wore idiosyncratic suits and waistcoats, and I fell in love with him. ... I didn't realise he was married until far, far too late."
— Autobiography, p.109
In 1968, Rantzen started an affair with Desmond Wilcox, who was the head of her department and married to Rantzen's friend Patsy who also worked at the BBC.[30] After several years they decided to live together, and informed BBC management of their relationship.[31] Management's solution was to move the entire production team of That's Life! out of Wilcox's department. The new arrangement meant that Rantzen and Patsy were now working in the same department, embarrassing Rantzen and causing further pain to Patsy.[32] Patsy Wilcox had always refused to divorce her husband, but agreed when Rantzen became pregnant.[33] After Rantzen and Wilcox married in December 1977,[34] BBC management moved her back into the General Features department run by him.[32] By that time, That's Life! was achieving huge audience ratings and reaching the number one position, gaining more viewers than Coronation Street.[32] This created tension among colleagues in General Features,[35] who ascribed the success of the programme to Wilcox's relationship with Rantzen.[32] They complained to management, quoting the BBC's regulation that husbands and wives should not work in the same department.[32]
As a result, Wilcox resigned,[32] and set up his own independent production company, making award-winning documentaries such as The Visit, which included a series of programmes about The Boy David. For these, as well as previous films, he received many international awards, including the Grierson Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001. Wilcox and Rantzen had three children – Miriam (formerly known as Emily, b. 1978), Rebecca (b. 1980), and Joshua (b. 1981).[8]
In 2001, Patsy's daughter Cassandra Wilcox gave an interview in response to comments Rantzen had made about Patsy in her autobiography, alleging amongst other things that Rantzen had long harboured animosity towards Patsy.[36]
In January 2023, Rantzen announced that she had been diagnosed with lung cancer. In a statement, Rantzen said, "In the last few weeks I have discovered that I am suffering from lung cancer which has now spread. At the moment I am undergoing various tests, to assess the best treatment [...] I have decided not to keep this secret any more because I find it difficult to skulk around various hospitals wearing an unconvincing disguise, and because I would rather you heard the facts from me. [...] As I am sure you will understand, while I am awaiting the results of the tests, I am unable to answer questions. Thanks to the extraordinary skills of the medical profession there are wonderful new treatments, so I am remaining optimistic."[37][38][39]
In May 2023, Rantzen announced that her lung cancer had reached
Books
- —— ISBN 978-0330-2653-24.
- —— Desmond Wilcox (1985). Baby Love. ISBN 978-0718-1263-53.
- —— ISBN 0-563-20331-5.
- —— Shaun Woodward (1999). Death by Television. ISBN 0-7126-2543-7.
- —— (2011). Running Out of Tears: The Moving Personal Stories of Childline's Children Over 25 Years. Biteback Publishing. ISBN 978-1849-5424-63.
- —— (2001). Esther: The autobiography. ISBN 978-0754-0248-97.
- —— (2004). A Secret Life. Penguin Random House. ISBN 978-0099-4359-38.
- —— (2023). Older and Bolder - Esther Rantzen's A-Z of Surviving Almost Everything. ISBN 978-1529-9081-90.
Honours
Rantzen was appointed
Rantzen has also received a number of professional awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the
Arms
On 31 May 2018, she was granted arms by the College of Arms, through Letters Patent of Garter and Clarenceux Kings of Arms.[47]
References
- ^ Operation Encompass website. Silver Stories website
- ^ Gloger, Dana (25 July 2008). "Esther Rantzen: Older and wiser". The JC. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
- ^ Anderson, Eric (14 December 1995). "OBITUARY: Mary Lascelles". The Independent. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
- ^ Rantzen 2001, pp 58–60
- ^ a b c d e f g "Who Do You Think You Are?". BBC. Retrieved 3 September 2008.
- ISBN 1-84383-170-8.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Dame Esther Rantzen Honorary Fellow". Some.ox.ac.uk. 6 July 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
- ^ a b c Deans, Jason (23 April 2002). "Rantzen calls time on BBC2 talk show". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
- ^ Westminster, Department of the Official Report (Hansard), House of Commons. "House of Commons Hansard Debates for 17 Apr 1996 (pt 7)".
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "That's Life!". IMDb.com. 26 May 1973. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
- ^ "Call comes for Dame ChildLine". The Times. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
- ^ "Hearts of Gold (TV Series 1992– )". IMDb.com. August 1991. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
- ^ "Gold (30) – Hearts Of Gold". Discogs.com. 1988. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
- ^ "BBC One - Strictly Come Dancing, Series 2, Week 4". BBC. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ a b "Esther Rantzen Credits". Tvguide.com. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
- ^ "Esther Rantzen VP". Revitalise.org.uk. 21 May 2015. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
- ^ "I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here: 2008 Lineup!". Popsugar.co.uk. 12 November 2008. Archived from the original on 27 January 2021.
- ^ "My5". Channel5.com.
- ^ "Home". Plimsoll Productions. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ "Exclusive: C5 readies "Esther Rantzen's House Trap" from Plimsoll". Magnifymedia.co.uk.
- ^ "UK | UK Politics | Key details: MP expenses claims". BBC News. 19 June 2009. Retrieved 22 October 2009.
- ^ "Who can stand as an MP?". UK Parliament. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
- ^ "Luton South". BBC News. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
- ^ "Celebrities' open letter to Scotland – full text and list of signatories". The Guardian. 7 August 2014.
- ^ "Esther Rantzen – “The jury is no longer out” on Jimmy Savile sexual abuse allegations", Radio Times (website), 1 October 2012; accessed 27 December 2014.
- ^ "Why I believe Jimmy Savile sex claims – Esther Rantzen", Channel4.com, 1 October 2012; accessed 27 December 2014.
- ^ "Savile: 'Victims' Prepare To Sue NHS And BBC". Sky News. 13 October 2012. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
- ^ Brand, Katy (5 October 2012). "Jimmy Savile allegations: Esther Rantzen's response defies belief". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
- ^ Mason, Tania (17 October 2012). "Child abuse charity stands by Esther following Savile claims". Civilsociety.co.uk. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
- ^ Esther, The Autobiography, p. 140
- ^ Esther, The Autobiography, p. 150
- ^ a b c d e f Esther, The Autobiography, p. 233
- ^ Esther, The Autobiography, p. 153
- ^ Esther, The Autobiography pp. 152–54
- ^ Esther, The Autobiography, p. 232
- ^ Craig, Olga (18 February 2001). "That's life: Esther Rantzen broke my mother's heart". The Daily Telegraph.
- ^ "Dame Esther Rantzen remaining 'optimistic' following lung cancer diagnosis". ITV. 29 January 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
- ^ Vassell, Nicole (29 January 2023). "'I'm optimistic': Esther Rantzen says she has lung cancer which has 'spread'". Independent. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ Welsh, Daniel (29 January 2023). "Dame Esther Rantzen Shares Lung Cancer Diagnosis". HuffPost. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ "Dame Esther Rantzen says her lung cancer is in stage four". BBC News. 26 May 2023.
- ^ Rantzen, Esther (2 December 2023). "Dame Esther Rantzen: 'Am I ready to go? Yes and no. I know how lucky I am to have lasted this long'". The Times. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
- ^ "Esther Rantzen says she's joined assisted dying clinic". 19 December 2023 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ "No. 52382". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 December 1990. p. 11.
- ^ "No. 58014". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 June 2006. p. 8.
- ^ "No. 61092". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2014. p. N8.
- ^ "Bio Page". EstherRantzen.net. Archived from the original on 16 March 2010. Retrieved 22 October 2009.
- ^ "July 2018 Newsletter (no. 55)". College-of-arms.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
Sources
- Rantzen, Esther (2001). Esther, The Autobiography. London, UK: BBC Worldwide. ISBN 0-563-53741-8.
- "Northern Ireland | Rantzen – NI 'addicted to hatred'". BBC News. 19 June 2009. Retrieved 22 October 2009.
- "Ulster folk addicted to violence, rants Esther". Belfast Telegraph. 20 June 2009. Retrieved 22 October 2009.