Judith Chalmers

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Judith Chalmers
OBE
Born (1935-10-10) 10 October 1935 (age 90)
Gatley, Cheshire, England
OccupationTelevision presenter
Years active1948–2017
Spouse
​
(m. 1964)​
Children2, including Mark Durden-Smith

Judith Rosemary Locke Chalmers (born 10 October 1935) [1] is an English retired television presenter who is best known for presenting the travel programme Wish You Were Here...? from 1974 to 2003. [2]

Contents

Early life

Chalmers was born in Gatley, Cheshire. [3] Her father was an architect and her mother a medical secretary. [4] She had a sister, Sandra Chalmers. Both siblings were educated at Withington Girls' School, an independent day school in Fallowfield near Withington, Manchester. [5]

Career

Chalmers began broadcasting for the BBC when she was only 13, after being selected for BBC Northern Children's Hour by producer Trevor Hill. [6] Her younger sister Sandra, who was later editor of Woman's Hour , also performed on Children's Hour. [7] Chalmers presented many programmes from Manchester, including Children's Television Club which later metamorphosed into Blue Peter based in London. [8] She spent some time at secretarial college in Manchester in the early 1950s. [9]

In the 1960s, Chalmers presented two major BBC radio programmes: Family Favourites and Woman's Hour. [10] [2] She also appeared as the original Susan in The Clitheroe Kid , and was a foil for Ken Dodd in his radio show. [11] [12] Chalmers presented ballroom dancing competition programme Come Dancing for the BBC from 1961 to 1965. [2]

During the 1970s, Chalmers regularly presented ITV's daytime magazine programme Good Afternoon and its successors, which included Afternoon Plus and A Plus. [13] She started presenting ITV's holiday programme Wish You Were Here? in 1974 and continued in this role until 2003, initially working alongside Chris Kelly, and later with John Carter. [2]

In the 1980s Chalmers was a regular host of the Miss World contest on ITV, also presenting the associated UK beauty pageants such as Miss United Kingdom and the British Beauty Championships. [14] Chalmers presented BBC Radio 2's mid-morning show from 1990 to 1992, taking over from Ken Bruce, who took over the show again following Chalmers's departure from the station in 1992. [2]

In 2001, Chalmers appeared on Lily Savage's Blankety Blank . [15] She took part in an episode of the BBC Two series Celebrity Antiques Road Trip , with her son Mark, in 2013. [16]

Her television appearances in later years have been limited to short spots on chat show programmes such as Good Morning Britain , Lorraine and Graham Norton's chat shows. [17] [18] [19] In 2017, Chalmers took part in Channel 5's Celebrity Taste of Italy. [2]

In 2022, at the age of 86, Chalmers was appointed Heathrow Express's new chief smile officer. [20]

Personal life

Chalmers has been married to sports commentator Neil Durden-Smith since 1964. [21] The couple live in north London and have two children, including television presenter Mark Durden-Smith. [22] Chalmers has six grandchildren. [23]

Chalmers was appointed an OBE in 1994. [2]

References

  1. ↑ "FreeBMD Home Page". FreeBMD.com.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Judith Chalmers OBE | Travel Broadcaster | Gordon Poole Agency". Gordon Poole Agency Ltd. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  3. ↑ "Sandra Chalmers obituary". the Guardian. 9 February 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  4. ↑ Sandra Chalmers Obituary in The Times p 56, 27 February 2015
  5. ↑ "In Memoriam: Sandra Locke Chalmers [Class of 1958]". Withington Girls' School. 11 February 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  6. ↑ "Speaking to you at Home". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  7. ↑ Sue McGregor "Sandra Chalmers obituary", The Guardian, 9 February 2015
  8. ↑ "Speaking to you at Home". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  9. ↑ Miss Judith Chalmers, OBE Archived 3 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine , Debretts.com. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
  10. ↑ "Family Favourites 1 August 1945". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  11. ↑ "Clitheroe Kid". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  12. ↑ "BBC Radio 4 Extra - The Ken Dodd Show, From 20/10/1963". BBC. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  13. ↑ Good Afternoon - Mary Berry Simnel Cake , retrieved 16 December 2021
  14. ↑ Beautiesofuniverseandworld (29 July 2020). "Miss World 1985". MISS WORLD HISTORY. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  15. ↑ Lily Savage's Blankety Blank. 18 February 2001. ITV. Repeated 25 August 2016 on Challenge TV.
  16. ↑ "TV presenter Judith Chalmers battles under the hammer at Stroud Auction Rooms", Stroud News & Journal, 15 July 2013. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
  17. ↑ Good Morning Britain (18 September 2015). "Judith Chalmers on Benidorm". YouTube. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  18. ↑ "Judith Chalmers on the Joys of Travel | Lorraine". YouTube . 5 January 2018. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  19. ↑ "BBC Radio 2 - The Chris Evans Breakfast Show, Wednesday - Graham Norton sits in for Chris with special guest Judith Chalmers". BBC. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  20. ↑ Holland, Kaye (8 August 2022). "Stars on board: TV icon Judith Chalmers talks travel". World of Cruising.
  21. ↑ "ATV Icon: Judith Chalmers". ATV Today . 26 July 2025. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
  22. ↑ "Mark Durden-Smith". www.speakerscorner.co.uk. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  23. ↑ Lam, Sophie (18 September 2009). "My Life In Travel: Judith Chalmers". The Independent. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
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