Esther's agony

Life has not been easy for TV personality Esther Rantzen in recent weeks thanks to an explosive family row over her candid autobiography.

The former That's Life presenter has faced a barrage of criticism, in particular from her eldest stepdaughter, Cassandra, who accused Rantzen of writing "a cruel and callous account" of her mother Patsy - Wilcox's first wife - who died only a year ago from cancer.

Rantzen insists she never meant to cause pain to her step-children. Furthermore, she believes the public row would never have taken place if only her beloved husband, Desmond Wilcox was still alive.

"I think it is a real shame," she says. "I had not expected or anticipated the row the book would cause. But in my mind I had not worked out that Desi's death meant he was not there to explain to my step-children why he, and I, felt there should be a chapter in the book telling the truth about his first marriage. He felt people needed to know our side of the story."

Wilcox died of a heart attack in September and Esther now must face the reaction to "their story" alone. "It has been difficult as this is the first tough time I've faced alone since his death," she says.

Rantzen, 60, still visibly shaken by the storm she believes she has unwittingly caused, must now pull off the double challenge of mending the family rift and launching the controversial book.

Rantzen hoped the book would be a celebration of her 30-year TV career, her charity work in founding Childline and a testimony to her 23-year marriage to famed documentary maker, Wilcox.

It also frankly details controversies and turbulence that have buffeted her throughout her high profile life. She's successfully campaigned on a myriad of issues from consumer rights to raising public awareness for organ transplants.

Her on-screen image is compassionate and caring, characterised in such programmes as Hearts Of Gold.

But she acknowledges the high price she's paid for fame - not just being caricatured for her toothy smile.