Judith Chalmers, the presenter of ITV’s popular travel show Wish You Were Here…?, who told Brits where to spend their summer holidays, has died, aged 90.
The news was confirmed by her family, who said in a statement issued on Friday (22 May) that Chalmers died peacefully at home on Thursday evening, surrounded by her loved ones. She had been living with Alzheimer’s in her final years.
Her family said that the Cheshire-born star’s health had been declining for some time and that she became seriously ill in recent weeks, giving them time to be together with her.
Cliff Richard was among those to pay tribute to Chalmers, writing on Facebook: “Judith was a terrific success on TV, and I was happy to receive many invitations to join her and her Hubby Neil in their home in Portugal. We got on so well together over the years.
He continued: “She was great fun, generous in spirit and also very witty. She will be greatly missed !! Rest in peace Jude.”
Chalmers began working for the BBC when she was just 13 years old, going on to present programmes such as Family Favourites (remembered by its later name Two-Way Family Favourites) and Woman’s House in the Sixties.
She landed the hosting job on Wish You Were Here…?, an ITV series of 30-minute shows about travel and holidays, in 1974 and presented it until 2003.
In 2008, she caused a national frenzy when she revealed she always “went commando” when appearing on the show because she didn’t want the outline of her knickers to be visible on TV.
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Appearing on ITV chat show Loose Women, Chalmers said what was once a closely guarded secret was leaked after interviewer Graham Norton asked how many pairs of knickers she took on holiday.
“Graham said, ‘Do you take one pair and wash them, two pairs and wash them, or one for every day of the week?’” she recalled.
“So I said I don’t take them, and he said, ‘You what?’”
She said the decision was made after a wardrobe assistant told her she shouldn’t have a VPL (visible panty line) on television: “So I’m sorry to reveal that after 30 years of Wish You Were Here, I was pantless all the time.”
In a 2009 interview with The Independent, Chalmers reflected on her colourful career, in which she said her favourite holidays were with family: “We go to Devon to spend time with our six grandchildren in the summer. Aside from that, a country that my husband Neil and I love is New Zealand, where we try to go every couple of years.”
She was grateful for her tenure on Wish You Were Here…?, stating that it allowed her to see “so much of the world and discover how different it is. I love sitting in cafes, watching people go by.”
Her husband, former sports commentator Neil Durden-Smith, was her “ideal” travelling companion, she said: “When we first started doing Wish You Were Here…?, it was in the days of just lying on the beach with lemons and oil. These days, a holiday for me has wonderful beaches somewhere, but I don’t sit in the sun like I used to. I like a bit of culture, too.”
Chalmers was appointed an OBE in 1994. She is survived by her husband Durden-Smith and their two children, TV presenter Mark and daughter Emma.
