Television presenter Esther Rantzen shared a cup of tea with older people in Golders Green as she talked to them about loneliness and how to overcome it.

Esther told residents of Jewish Care’s Selig Court and members of the Holocaust Survivors Centre in Hendon about the reality of loneliness and why her own experiences led her to set up Silver Line, a new helpline for older people.

She said: “After my husband died I was living alone for the first time at the age of 71. I wrote about being lonely and the response I got was overwhelming.

“People told me I was brave to be so honest. It was then that I realised that people don’t want to admit to being lonely and often have no one to talk to.”

Over tea, Esther also entertained everyone with stories about her time on television show That’s Life and her more recent experiences on I'm a Celebrity Get Me out of Here and Strictly Come Dancing.

Alec Ward, a member of the HSC, thanked Esther sharing her stories as he said: “She is a jewel in the Jewish community and one we are proud of. She is a woman who treats everyone as individuals.”

As a sign of his appreciation Mr Ward shared his story of surviving the Holocaust and sang a song in Yiddish.