Judith Chalmers, British TV presenting legend, dies aged 90

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TV presenter Judith Chalmers has died at the age of 90.

In a statement released by her family announcing her death, it was confirmed that she had been living with Alzheimer’s disease.

Judy passed away peacefully last night, surrounded by her family. She had battled Alzheimer’s for several years and lived a remarkable life, spending over 60 years in broadcasting and traveling the world.

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

ITV News reported that Chalmers had been unwell for a while, but her condition worsened in recent weeks, allowing her family to spend time with her before she passed away.

Judith’s presenting career started when she was just 13 years old, when in 1956 she landed a job on BBC Northern’s Children’s Hour.

During the 1960s, she became a radio host, presenting Family Favourites and Women’s Hour, as well as presenting Come Dancing in 1961 – the TV dancing competition that has since been revived with a celebrity spin in Strictly Come Dancing.

Following his four years hosting Come Dancing, Chalmers became a familiar presence on ITV Daytime television and also presented Miss World throughout the 1980s.

At the end of her time on the show, Chalmers would largely retire from presenting, though still made appearances on panel shows and celebrity specials of TV favourites including Blankety Blank, Celebrity Antiques Road Trip, Loose Women and A Celebrity Taste of Italy.

In 2016, she had one of her final on-screen roles with a cameo appearance in the movie Absolutely Fabulous.

During her time on the show, she presented 191 episodes and shared hosting duties with personalities like Chris Kelly, Anthea Turner, and John Carter.

She married sports commentator Neil Durden-Smith in 1964.

They had two children: Mark, who followed in their footsteps as a broadcaster and TV personality, and their daughter, Emma.

Chalmers is survived by her husband, her two children and her grandchildren.

Authors

Tilly PearceFreelance Writer

Tilly Pearce is a freelance journalist who writes about television, covering everything from popular reality shows like Love Is Blind to science fiction series like Fallout. She’s a highly qualified journalist, holding NCTJ Gold Standard accreditation, and has experience working as an editor at both Digital Spy and Daily Express US.

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2026-05-22 16:35