\u2022 Esther Rantzen: from That\u2019s Life! to Childline \u2013 in pictures<\/a><\/p>\n
By no means should That\u2019s Life! have ever worked as a television programme. For more than 20 years it functioned as an absurd grab bag of features that at times seemed specifically designed to induce tonal whiplash in its viewers.<\/p>\n
To demonstrate this point, That\u2019s Life! was the show that introduced the nation to Prince, a talking dog who could say the word\u201csausages\u201d, but it was also the show that put pressure on the government to introduce mandatory seatbelt use for children. This was the show that invented a new animal as an April fool\u2019s joke, only for coachloads of tourists to arrive at London Zoo to try to spot it. It was also the show that embarked on a vigorous three-month investigation into allegations of widespread sexual abuse by teachers at a boys\u2019 boarding school, resulting in the school\u2019s closure less than two weeks after the feature aired.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/0ac75005bcb09a8c717add4b0270f936ccfb6e5f\/0_0_2323_1857\/master\/2323.jpg?width=140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=ce6bc2136c9d296ceafbb207467a3d94\" "\\"Esther")
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