Esther Rantzen Esther Rantzen Dame Esther Louise Rantzen (born 22 June 1940) is an English journalist and television presenter, who presented the BBC television series "That's Life!" for 21 years, from 1973 until 1994. She works with various charitable causes, and founded the charities ChildLine, promoting child protection, which she set up in 1986, and The Silver Line, designed to combat loneliness, which she set up in 2012. Rantzen was born in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England, to Katherine Flora Rantzen ("née" Leverson, 1911–2005) and Henry Barnato Rantzen (1902–1992). She has one younger sister, Priscilla N. Taylor. She attended Buckley Country Day School in
Childline affected by HIV/AIDS live a better life. The freephone number, 0800 1111, was one of the first 0800 numbers to be issued in the United Kingdom. Before BT allocated this number to ChildLine, 0800 1111 was used as a test line number by technicians. Other early allocated 0800 numbers were 10 digit, including the prefix. ChildLine's number is one of only a handful of 8 digit 0800 UK numbers to ever have been allocated and the only one still in use. ChildLine is also available on the harmonised European number for child helplines, 116111. Young people can also contact ChildLine