Who are Esther Rantzen’s children?

ESTHER Rantzen shot to fame in the 70s, thanks to her iconic show, That’s Life.

But whilst she was making a name for herself on the box, she was also raising her big brood of children.

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Esther Rantzen with her late husband Desmond Wilcox and their children, Emily, Rebecca and Joshua,Credit: Getty Who are Esther Rantzen’s children? Emily (Miriam) Wilcox

Together with her late husband Desmond Wilcox, Esther Rantzen had three children.

Their eldest was born Emily Wilcox in  January 1978, but later changed it to Miriam.

As a teenager she battled some health issues. and at the age of 14, she was diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), also known as chronic fatigue syndrome.

In an interview in 2010 with The Guardian, Esther talked about her eldest and said: “My older daughter, Emily, had ME for 14 years. Thankfully she is better now and lives with me.

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“She recently joined Kabbalah and changed her named to a more biblical name, ‘Miriam’ – a little hard for me as she was named after my maternal grandmother, Emily, whom I adored. But I get round it by calling her ‘Em’.

Rebecca Wilcox

Like her famous mother, Rebecca is a journalist and TV presenter.

She is the middle child of Esther’s three kids.

Like mum, Rebecca has forged a career for herself at the BBC, which includes hosting shows like Watchdog.

After it was revealed Esther was battling lung cancer, her youngest daughter revealed she would be taking on duties at her mother’s beloved charity, Childline.

Speaking to the Daily Mail in December 2023, she said: “I was honoured to be asked to deputise for Mum, the current president of Childline, a charity she founded in 1986 after becoming aware of the lack of a helpline for children and young people.

“Her illness has meant she is unable to dedicate as much time and energy as she would wish to the role of president, so I am stepping in to help, as it is a charity we are both passionate about.

“Mum has always made time to visit the bases, meet the team, listen to the children on the phones.

“The fact she has stepped back from this role, in an organisation she treasures, shows how living with cancer is consuming, even for someone as seemingly indestructible as my mother.”

Joshua Wilcox

Esther’s only son is Joshua, and he is the youngest of her brood of three kids.

Like his famous mum, he also has three children – Teddy and twin daughters.

Joshua and his partner Kelly live in the West Country with their children.

Speaking to the Daily Mail in 2017, shortly after the birth of her twin granddaughters, Esther said: “So what gives me hope in the future — however long that is — is this sudden gift of grandchildren.

“I came quite late to the grandmother club. I was well into my 70s when my daughter Rebecca presented me with my first grandson, Benji.

“I’d spent years watching friends turning into gooey, sentimental grannies, forever showing me their latest photos and telling me anecdotes about the toddler geniuses in their family. 

Who was Esther Rantzen’s husband Desmond Wilcox?

Esther Rantzen married the late BBC documentary maker Desmond Wilcox in 1977.

They were together for 30 years until his death from heart disease in 2000.

Before he wed Esther, Desmond was married to his first wife Patsy Price, and they had three children together called Claire, Adam, and Cassandra.