Judith_Chalmers

Judith Chalmers

Judith Chalmers

British television presenter


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

Quick Facts OBE, Born ...

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 sisters 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][11] She also appeared as the original Susan in The Clitheroe Kid, and was a foil for Ken Dodd in his radio show.[12][13] Chalmers presented ballroom dancing competition programme Come Dancing for the BBC from 1961 to 1965.[14]

During the 1970s, Chalmers regularly presented ITV's daytime magazine programme Good Afternoon and its successors, which included Afternoon Plus and A Plus.[15] 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.[16]

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.[17] 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.[18]

In 2001, Chalmers appeared on Lily Savage's Blankety Blank.[19] She took part in an episode of the BBC Two series Celebrity Antiques Road Trip, with her son Mark, in 2013.[20]

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.[21][22][23] In 2017, Chalmers took part in Channel 5’s Celebrity Taste of Italy.[24]

Personal life

Chalmers has been married to sports commentator Neil Durden-Smith since 1964.[25] The couple live in north London and have two children, television presenter Mark and Emma.[26][27] Chalmers has six grandchildren.[28]

She was awarded an OBE in 1994.[29]


References

  1. "FreeBMD Home Page". FreeBMD.com.
  2. "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. "Judith Chalmers OBE | Travel Broadcaster | Gordon Poole Agency". Gordon Poole Agency Ltd. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  12. "Clitheroe Kid". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  13. "Judith Chalmers OBE | Travel Broadcaster | Gordon Poole Agency". Gordon Poole Agency Ltd. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  14. "Judith Chalmers OBE | Travel Broadcaster | Gordon Poole Agency". Gordon Poole Agency Ltd. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  15. Beautiesofuniverseandworld (29 July 2020). "Miss World 1985". MISS WORLD HISTORY. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  16. "Judith Chalmers OBE | Travel Broadcaster | Gordon Poole Agency". Gordon Poole Agency Ltd. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  17. Lily Savage's Blankety Blank. 18 February 2001. ITV. Repeated 25 August 2016 on Challenge TV.
  18. "TV presenter Judith Chalmers battles under the hammer at Stroud Auction Rooms", Stroud News & Journal, 15 July 2013. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
  19. "Judith Chalmers OBE | Travel Broadcaster | Gordon Poole Agency". Gordon Poole Agency Ltd. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  20. "Judith Chalmers". IMDb. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  21. "Judith Chalmers". IMDb. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  22. "Mark Durden-Smith". www.speakerscorner.co.uk. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  23. "My Life In Travel: Judith Chalmers". The Independent. 18 September 2009. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  24. "Judith Chalmers OBE | Travel Broadcaster | Gordon Poole Agency". Gordon Poole Agency Ltd. Retrieved 16 December 2021.

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