In a statement released on Tuesday 30 September 2026 and shared by the BBC, her family paid tribute to the "most wonderful mother" and "cherished grandmother", and praised her "ability to comfort every heartache, her beautiful way with words and her expert guidance".
Rantzen had been living with stage-four lung cancer since a diagnosis she made public in 2023.
From there, Rantzen moved into television as a researcher, made her first on-screen appearances on the consumer programme Braden's Week, and in 1973 was chosen to front its iconic successor, That's Life!
At its peak, That's Life! drew more than 20 million viewers and ran until 1994.
The programme's most enduring legacy came after a feature on child abuse. When phone lines opened for 48 hours, they were inundated with calls from children, prompting Rantzen to establish Childline as a permanent, confidential helpline in 1986. Childline merged with the NSPCC in 2006.
The presenter later competed in the second run of BBC entertainment titan Strictly Come Dancing and then appeared on ITV hit I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in 2008.
Rantzen's broadcasting and charity work brought an OBE in 1991, followed by a CBE in 2006, then BAFTA's Richard Dimbleby Award, and then a well-earned damehood in the 2015 New Year Honours.
When she wrote for Radio Times last year, Rantzen praised the power of television, citing Clarkson's Farm as a recent example.
Rantzen is survived by her three children, Miriam, Rebecca and Joshua, and five grandchildren.
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