Esther Rantzen

Over a career spanning five decades, Dame Esther Rantzen appeared in more than 2,000 television broadcasts. In her regular contributions to political and news programmes, including The One Show, she especially advocated for protecting vulnerable people and growing old ungracefully. She was also a reality TV favourite with appearances on Strictly Come Dancing, First Dates and I'm a Celebrity. As a journalist, she wrote for the Daily Mail, the Guardian, the Telegraph and The Times.

Dame Esther was awarded a DBE in 2015 for her services to children and older people, through her pioneering work as founder of Childline and The Silver Line.