Davina McCall leads tributes to Dame Esther Rantzen, dead at 86

Davina McCall and Anton Du Beke were among the stars to pay tribute to Dame Esther Rantzen after her death.

The TV star and campaigner passed away following a battle with lung cancer, her family announced in a statement on Wednesday.

McCall led a flurry of emotional farewells on Instagram as she thanked the late star for "making a difference to so many people's lives".

"Just quickly wanted to say to Esther Rantzen's family and friends, rest in peace Esther. What a woman!" she gushed.

"What an inspiration to girls like me when we were growing up and there she was a strong independent, really intelligent woman who I was lucky enough to meet a couple of times.

"She was always unbelievably encouraging, friendly, supportive; she was a real icon and a national treasure, and she will be really missed and what a wonderful way to leave the world with a big hole in it."

Strictly Come Dancing star Du Beke wrote in his emotional tribute, "I'm deeply saddened to hear about the passing of the wonderful Esther Rantzen.

"We first met when we partnered each other in the second series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2004 and remained firm friends ever since.

"Her breadth of knowledge and passion is unrivalled, a forerunner for women on television, the ultimate breaker of the glass ceiling."

Rantzen revealed in December 2023 that she had joined Dignitas and would consider going there to end her life.

Earlier this month, she shared in a heartfelt statement that it was too late for her to "buzz off" to the Swiss clinic as planned.

She passed away on 30 September at the age of 86.