Esther Rantzen Recounts Moment Nicholas Winton's Story Became National News

Dame Esther Rantzen, the veteran broadcaster, has reflected on the moment Sir Nicholas Winton's remarkable story of rescuing children during the Holocaust gained national recognition. This pivotal moment occurred in February 1988 when Sir Nicholas appeared on Rantzen's popular television program, "That's Life!"

Sir Nicholas, born to German-Jewish parents, was instrumental in saving a cohort of primarily Jewish children from Czechoslovakia. He worked with activists and humanitarians to navigate complex political obstacles, including ensuring passage through the Netherlands, which had closed its borders to Jewish refugees. His efforts were facilitated by a House of Commons ruling that permitted young refugees into the country, passed shortly before his rescue mission began. He also enlisted the help of his mother to place photos of the children in British magazines like Picture Post, securing homes and organizing hostels for their reception.

Despite his significant humanitarian work, Sir Nicholas's efforts went largely unreported for nearly five decades. His wife discovered a scrapbook detailing the children he had rescued in their loft, which was later shared with Holocaust researchers. These researchers helped locate some of the children he had aided.

During his appearance on "That's Life!", Rantzen presented Sir Nicholas with a scrapbook containing the names of the children he saved. In a deeply emotional segment, two women he had rescued as children, Vera Gissing and Lady Milena Grenfell-Baines, revealed themselves to him on live television. Lady Milena, who was nine years old when she traveled from Prague with her sister Eva on a train arranged by Winton, is a well-recognized Holocaust survivor in the UK. Gissing, rescued at age 11, lost most of her family in the Holocaust and settled in the UK after the war.

Rantzen recalled the experience as "incredibly moving" and admitted that she had to stop recording to wipe away tears. She described her initial conversation with Sir Nicholas, where he expressed disappointment that "not enough" people had been saved, a sentiment Rantzen found devastating.

Following the initial broadcast, "That's Life!" received numerous calls from viewers who realized their own connection to Sir Nicholas. This led to a subsequent episode where Rantzen famously asked all those who owed their lives to him to stand up, resulting in the entire audience on the ground floor of the Television Theatre rising to their feet.

Sir Nicholas Winton's story has since been the subject of films and documentaries, including the 2024 biopic "One Life," starring Sir Anthony Hopkins. It is estimated that around 6,000 people owe their existence to Nicholas Winton, and the Jewish children he rescued were among the few from Czechoslovakia to survive the Holocaust. Rantzen maintained contact with Sir Nicholas until his death in 2015 at the age of 106, always cherishing their connection forged through his story and the "That's Life!" program.