‘She asked me to lie on her feet while she did sit-ups’: your memories of Esther Rantzen

The summer of 1976 held a particularly fond memory for my family. In one episode of her programme The Big Time, my father took part in conducting the Royal Philharmonic in Croydon and met several of his musical idols. Esther and her team visited our home, causing much teenage excitement, took us for lunch at a local Indian restaurant (the height of sophistication) and after lunch asked me to sit on her feet in our back garden while she did sit-ups. We were kids, probably in the way of filming, but were included and treated warmly and impressed by her down-to-earth manner. We fondly remember the visit and as Dad said at the end of the film: “lovely Esther”. I’m glad she went on to make so many important contributions to the lives of so many. Rosalind Cresswell, Maine, USA

‘I applaud her for this little defiance of the expected norm’

Around 1980, I worked for the National Consumer Council, a quango that has now been absorbed into something else. I took the minutes of a meeting of the council when Esther Rantzen was an elected member. She had a new baby and fed him during the meeting. Nobody did this, she was a trailblazer, and I applaud her for this little defiance of the expected norm. I am sad to hear that she no longer in our lives, but I thank her for her work and her legacy. Lesley Foote, 70, retired health manager, London

‘I was struck by her professionalism’

Some time before Esther Rantzen became a household name, I edited two documentaries which she presented – Until Armageddon (about Jehovah Witnesses) and Come Come Ye Saints (about Mormons). Esther would often visit the cutting room and I was struck by her professionalism and desire to learn the TV trade. Esther would have acknowledged her debt to the director, Peter Chafer, whose guidance certainly helped mould her later career. Paul O’Dell, 83, France

‘She was a pioneer’

I was a second year student nurse in 1983 when I watched a programme called The Lost Babies, which Esther presented. I was so moved that I wrote to her saying that I would be training as a midwife when I finished my nursing training. She replied with a lovely letter of encouragement, which I still have. I went on to become a midwife and then a sister in a neonatal intensive care unit. I remembered what I had heard and learned from the women in the programme every day of my clinical career.

Having a baby is usually a joyous occasion, but for some women and their families it is a time of great sorrow whether their baby dies before or after birth. The way that healthcare staff care for and support women has changed greatly over the years, and I feel that this programme was a huge step forward in learning from those brave women who never forgot their lost babies. Many people are afraid of the idea of death and Esther shone a light on the reality of it. She was a pioneer in 1983 discussing what was a taboo subject, and she remained a pioneer in advocating for dignity in death, even as she was facing the reality the end of her own life. Breedagh Hughes, 68, retired midwife, Spain

‘She told me about her passion for justice’

Social workers are notoriously sniffy about celebrities coming to tell them how to do their job, particularly those in children’s services. But Esther came to talk to a conference I attended and she was great. She talked about why she set up Childline. She was fun and entirely respectful. I ended up sitting next to her at lunch; she didn’t run off or seek to sit with the organisers. She told me about her passion for justice and how that drove her forward in journalism. Her sister was a social worker who kept her informed and right. She was not jumping on a bandwagon to help her own career, she was using whatever celebrity she had to push a message and did so powerfully. I left thinking what a nice person she was and how we could all do with just a little of her drive to correct injustice. Linda Devlin, retired social worker, Glasgow

‘Esther transformed the lives of so many people’

This is such a sad loss. Esther Rantzen has been a strong and positive influence on my career. When I was a postgraduate media student I was sent to interview Esther. She kindly invited me to spend a week of work experience on That’s Life! From the morning news meeting to the editing suites, she shared the whole process of programme making with me. She drove me round London in her car, giving me the benefit of her wisdom and advice as we chatted.

Esther’s advice and experience helped launch my own career and I have been ever grateful to her for taking such trouble with a mere work experience student. This is typical of her openness, kindness, enduring positivity and drive. Esther Rantzen has transformed the lives of so many children and lonely elderly people. Rene Wyndham, Lyme Regis

‘An amazing ambassador for women and the world’

Every Sunday evening I watched That’s Life! religiously as a young teen and it was the most informative, investigative and funny show. I will always remember the guar gum slimming pills that blocked a ladies toilet, and the dog who could say “sausages”. Rest in peace you beautiful, amazing ambassador for women and the world. Janet Rochford, 48, Cork, Ireland

‘Charming and great fun’

I had the joy and challenges of working with Esther at Childline from 2000 to 2006 when it joined with the NSPCC. We travelled together on numerous fundraising and awareness campaign trails around the UK organising media interviews and photo opportunities. She was always a stickler for the details and if you made a mistake she could be fierce, but she was also charming and great fun. Working on the BT Childline Awards I saw how much she loved meeting people from all walks of life who had done amazing volunteering work. Esther was invested in shining a light on these unsung heroes.

Although it was work, she remembered things you’d shared about family or friends and would ask how they were. She liked that my wife was also from Berkhamsted and enjoyed remembering her childhood growing up there, asking what had changed since. I last saw her in 2017, and I’m glad my lasting memories are of Esther being the force of nature she was, campaigning for children and adults who would not otherwise have had a voice. I am so happy to have known her. It feels like the end of an era with her passing. Adrian Brown, 55, London