Dame Esther Rantzen's time presenting the BBC One show That's Life! from 1973 to 1994 included a memorable moment in 1988 when she shared the story of Sir Nicholas Winton.
Sir Nicholas had organised the rescue of 669 children, predominantly Jewish, from Czechoslovakia in 1939, finding homes and raising funds for their travel to Britain. His work went largely unrecognised for nearly 50 years until his wife discovered a scrapbook detailing his efforts.
His story became national news after his appearance on That's Life! in February 1988. During the show, two women he had saved as children, Vera Gissing and Lady Milena Grenfell-Baines, revealed their identities to him. In a subsequent episode, Dame Esther asked all those who owed their lives to him to stand, a moment she described as "incredibly moving".
Dame Esther stated in February 2024 that an estimated 6,000 people owe their existence to Sir Nicholas Winton, whose work has also been the subject of films, including the 2024 biopic One Life.