Childline marks 40 years since late Dame Esther Rantzen launched helpline
Childline is marking 40 years since the late Dame Esther Rantzen launched the helpline, which has helped an estimated six million children and is now run by the NSPCC.
How it was covered
- BBC One was the only channel found covering it, concentrating on the late Dame Esther Rantzen's legacy and Childline's 40-year history.
- Channel 5, BBC News, Channel 4, GB News, ITV and Sky News: not found in tracked broadcasts.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story. Facts only one channel reported are attributed to it.
Childline is marking 40 years since the broadcaster and campaigner the late Dame Esther Rantzen launched the helpline, BBC News reported. BBC News said the service began on the BBC programme That's Life as a free and confidential 24-hour phone line for children and young people in danger or distress.
BBC News reported that more than 50,000 children called on the night the lines opened. It said Childline has helped an estimated six million children over the past four decades and is now run by the NSPCC, which continues to operate the same free 24-hour number.
BBC News correspondent Graham Satchell looked back at the service's history. BBC News spoke to Colin, a former deputy headteacher at a London school, who was on the lines on the first night and has volunteered with Childline ever since. Colin told BBC News: 'It takes a very brave child to walk into a social services office and say help me I'm being abused.' BBC News reported that he said he knew the telephone line would work.
The report also followed Matt, who wrote to Childline at the age of 10. BBC News said he later worked for the charity in fundraising and volunteered to answer calls, and that he described the reply he received as making him feel Childline was there just for him. Colin told BBC News that 40 years ago he might get a call about self-harm or suicidal thoughts once a month, but now mental health problems feature in virtually every contact. BBC News reported that he said children often mention waiting lists for care and ask what they can do in the meantime.
BBC News also reported the claim that one child in 10 is currently suffering, equivalent to three children in the average classroom.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| Childline has supported an estimated six million children in 40 years and is now operated by the NSPCC. | |
| More than 50,000 children contacted Childline on its opening night. | |
| The late Dame Esther Rantzen launched Childline 40 years ago. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC ONE West's coverage was a warm anniversary retrospective built around the late Dame Esther Rantzen's legacy. It traced Childline from its launch on That's Life through the first night's calls to its current NSPCC-run service. The report gave space to personal testimony from a long-standing volunteer and a former child caller, and noted the rise in mental health-related contacts.
- “40 years ago today the broadcaster and campaigner the late Dame Esther Rantzen launched Childline”
- “On the night the lines opened more than 50,000 children called in.”
- “In the last 40 years Childline has helped an estimated 6 million children now run by the NSPCC”
Who was on air
People and organisations each channel put on air while covering this story. Channels' own presenters and reporters are not listed. Names as transcribed, and the list can miss people.
- 13:33 GMT
Esther Rantzen, broadcaster and campaigner
BBC News at One including · Fri 30 Oct
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.