For millions of British holidaymakers, Judith Chalmers, at the height of her television fame as the main presenter on Wish You Were Here, was the undisputed Queen of Travel.
The bubbly host, known for her colourful 80s fashion and jetting all over the globe, often on Concorde, in the name of the nation’s most watched holiday programme, has died at the age of 90 from Alzheimer’s disease, her family revealed today.
Chalmers had untold influence on how UK tourists took their holidays, serving up her take on truly exotic – and more affordable – destinations around the world during the 30-minute ITV show which first hit screens in 1974.
In a world before social media and cheap global travel existed, Chalmers offered inspiration and information galore via her bite-size reports from the destinations, often sun-drenched, that she visited.
With her blonde highlighted hair, deep year-round tan and penchant for colourful outfits, the TV presenter, who is survived by her husband, former sports journalist Neil Durden-Smith, proffered a glamourous television escape from the humdrum of daily life.
The weekly show, which had an earworm theme tune, attracted 19million viewers at its peak.
For 30 minutes every week, British TV viewers – then limited to four channels and without social media, could escape into the world of travel. Judith Chalmers, who has died at the age of 90, pictured at Victoria Falls on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe
Long before the advent of low cost airlines, the glamorous travel presenter, known for her deep tan, blonde highlights and colourful TV fashion introduced British households to a host of destinations they’d never heard of
Her career began on BBC radio programmes, and the Cheshire-born star even presented the earliest incarnation of Strictly Come Dancing, simply known as Come Dancing, in the early 1960s.
However, Wish You Were Here cemented Chalmers as the country’s most famous holiday presenter for three decades, offering an easily digestible alternative to the more serious travel documentaries of the time.
The presenter earned the affectionate nickname ‘Miss Five-Star’, thanks to her love of the high life, with Chalmers and her husband Neil navigating the globe in style in the name of aspirational telly.
In 2012, nine years after her career on Wish You Were Here came to a close, she made an admission that left many of her doting viewers shocked.
The Queen of Travel: Chalmers, who is survived by her husband Neil Durden-Smith and two children, earned the affectionate nickname of Miss Five-Star thanks to her love of luxury hotels
The presenter pictured with Concorde at London’s Heathrow airport; destinations Chalmers visited included Australia, the Sahara desert, Malaysia and plenty of package holiday destinations across the Med
Discussing how one packs as a frequent traveller, the broadcaster dropped the bombshell that she didn’t once don underwear while presenting the show that made her a household name.
Then 72, the star revealed that her holiday wardrobe for the show looked better if she went ‘commando’ thus avoiding the VPL (visible panty line) that could blight a flimsy outfit.
Graham Norton prised the information out of Chalmers by asking how many pairs of briefs she took on holiday.
The BBC chat show host asked her: ‘Do you take one pair and wash them, two pairs and wash them or one for every day of the week?.’
She revealed that she’d replied: ‘I don’t take them’, adding ‘I was told by the wardrobe mistress that I shouldn’t have a VPL – visible panty line.
‘So I’m sorry to reveal that after 30 years of Wish You Were Here, I was pantless all the time!’
When the credits rolled on her beloved travel show for the final time, Chalmers remained a popular face in the world of travel and frequently filed reports of her holidays for this newspaper.
The star revealed in 2012 that she had never worn knickers while on screen on Wish you were Here, after being offered sartorial advice that they might cause a VPL – visible panty line
In 2019 Judith fronted a campaign with Travel Republic where she comically explored what happens when a traditional British holidaymaker experiences the latest holiday trends titled ‘Woke You Were Here…?’.
In the parody video, Judith experienced everything from the faux pas of ordering a sexually suggestive cocktail to the wellness trend of ‘gonging’ while on her ‘Wokecation’.
She said: ‘When I started in the 1970s, the package holiday was still a recent innovation. Menus were meaty, postcards were saucy, and the only form of mindfulness was sitting by the pool with a large glass of sangria. For many, that’s still the perfect holiday.’
Judith’s family announced her death on Friday. She became seriously ill this spring and her loved ones spent time with her in recent weeks, though she had been battling Alzheimer’s for several years.
‘After living an extraordinary life that involved over 60 years in broadcasting and countless adventures across the globe, Judy sadly passed away last night, surrounded by the family she loved so much after suffering from Alzheimer’s for some years,’ they said in a statement.
‘We will miss her greatly, but she leaves behind a giant suitcase of the happiest memories.’
Pictured on Swan River in Perth, Western Australia; Chalmers became a household name at Wish you were Here’s peak, with some 19million tuning in
Chalmers with her husband Neil Durden-Smith. Right: The presenter with her son Mark, who took the mantle of Wish you were Here in 2007 for 25 episodes
She later returned to radio, presenting the BBC Radio 2 mid-morning show in the early 1990s.
In later years, she made guest appearances on programmes including Good Morning Britain, Lorraine and Celebrity Antiques Road Trip, and was also a regular on shows such as Loose Women and This Morning.
Her trademark smile remained and at the age of 86 she was appointed Heathrow Express’s chief smile officer.
Her health had been declining for some time, with the veteran broadcaster becoming seriously ill in recent weeks.
She died on Thursday night at home in North London. The family also had a holiday home in Portugal.
She loved pruning the roses at her mansion in Highgate – declaring that beyond travel, gardening was her great passion.
Although, she admitted that her other joy was sitting down and watching TV soap operas.
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