Judith Chalmers, the iconic presenter of ITV's travel programme Wish You Were Here…?, has died at the age of 90. Her family announced on Friday that she passed away peacefully at home on Thursday evening, surrounded by loved ones, after living with Alzheimer's disease in her final years.
The retired broadcaster, originally from Cheshire, had experienced declining health and became seriously ill in recent weeks, which allowed her family precious time together. Chalmers began her career at the BBC at just 13 years old, working on Children's Hour before moving on to major shows like Family Favourites and Woman's Hour during the 1960s.
She later joined ITV, where she hosted the daytime show Good Afternoon. In 1974, she became the face of the popular travel series Wish You Were Here…?, which aired 30-minute episodes until 2003. Chalmers was appointed an OBE in 1994 for her services to broadcasting.
Her son, Mark Durden-Smith, briefly hosted a reboot of the show in 2008. She is survived by her husband, former sports commentator Neil Durden-Smith, and their two children, Mark and Emma.
Tributes have flooded in from viewers and fans. Facebook user Mark Allen called her 'an absolute icon' and hoped ITV would air classic episodes. Victoria WB shared that her love of travel began watching the show as a child. Trudy Bonnett remembered her as 'a pleasure to watch' with a lovely speaking voice.
In an interview earlier this year with World of Cruising, Chalmers revealed that New Zealand was her favourite country. She recalled visiting when her husband was aide-de-camp to the governor-general between 1957 and 1959, describing it as 'so beautiful' and peaceful despite its distance.
She also shared fond memories from her 30 years on the show, including a mishap on a train in Scotland when it entered a tunnel mid-filming, a bat flying up her skirt, and a memorable trip to Barbados on Concorde where they returned the same day after lunch on the beach.
