Judith Chalmers obit

Judith Chalmers, host of ITV's Wish You Were Here...? has died aged 90

 

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TV presenter Judith Chalmers, best known for hosting ITV's travel show Wish You Were Here...?, has died aged 90.

Her family said in a statement on Friday that she died peacefully at home on Thursday evening, surrounded by her family, after living with Alzheimer's in her final years.

They said her health had been declining for some time and that she had become seriously ill in recent weeks, giving the family time to be together with her.

Judith's family told ITV News: "After living an extraordinary life that involved over 60 years in broadcasting and countless advertures all over the globe, Judy sadly passed away last night, surrounded by the family she loved so much after suffering with Alzheimer's for some years.

"We will miss her greatly but she leaves behind a giant suitcase of the happiest of memories."

Born in Gatley, Cheshire, she began working for the BBC at just 13, going on to present BBC Radio programmes Family Favourites and Woman's Hour in the 1960s.

She later hosted ITV's daytime magazine show Good Afternoon before going on to present Wish You Were Here...?, an ITV series of 30-minute shows about travel and holidays, in 1974.

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

During the 1970s, Chalmers regularly presented ITV's daytime magazine programme Good Afternoon and its successors, which included Afternoon Plus and A Plus. She started presenting ITV's holiday programme Wish You Were Here? in 1974 and continued in this role until 2003.

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. 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.

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

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. In 2017, Chalmers took part in Channel 5's Celebrity Taste of Italy.