JJ Chalmers
{{Short description|British television presenter (born 1986)}}
{{Lead too short|date=September 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{EngvarB|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix =
| name = JJ Chalmers
| honorific_suffix =
| image = Former Royal Marine and Invictus competitior John-James Chalmers at the 2016 Invictus Games Symposium on Invisible Wounds.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Chalmers at the 2016 Invictus Games
| birth_name = John-James Chalmers
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1986|12|20}}{{Cite Twitter profile|jjchalmersrm}}{{Primary source inline|date=February 2020}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/prince-harry-invites-afghanistan-veteran-12536704|title=Prince Harry invites Afghan veteran and Invictus Games champ to entire wedding|first=Victoria|last=Murphy|date=14 May 2018|website=Daily Mirror}}{{cite news |last1=Eames |first1=Tom |title=Strictly Come Dancing 2020: JJ Chalmers' age, wife, disability and height revealed |url=https://www.smoothradio.com/news/entertainment/strictly-come-dancing/jj-chalmers-age-wife-children-height/#top |access-date=19 September 2022 |work=Smooth |date=30 October 2020 |language=en}}
| birth_place = Edinburgh, Scotland, U.K.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| resting place =
| spouse = Kornelia Chalmers
| children = 2
| father = John Chalmers
| module =
{{Infobox military person |embed=yes
| allegiance = {{GBR}}
| branch = File:Flag of the Royal Marines.png Royal Marines
| serviceyears = {{Plainlist}}
- 2005–16
{{endplainlist}}
| serviceyears_label =
| rank = File:OR3 RM Lance Corporal.svg Lance corporal
| servicenumber =
| unit = 42 Commando
| commands =
| battles_label =
| battles = ISAF Occupation of Afghanistan
| awards =
}}
| module2 =
{{Infobox sportsperson
|embed=yes
| sport = {{Plainlist}}
{{Endplainlist}}
| event =
| disability_class =
| country = British Armed Forces
| coach =
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport | Invictus Games }}
{{MedalCompetition|Invictus Games}}
{{MedalGold |2014 London|Recumbent road cycling}}
{{MedalBronze |2014 London|Recumbent road cycling}}
{{MedalBronze |2014 London|4 × 100m mixed relay}}
| show-medals = yes
}}
}}
John-James Chalmers (born 20 December 1986) is a Scottish television presenter and Invictus Games medallist. He was injured in a bomb blast in Afghanistan in 2011, while serving as a Royal Marine.
Early life
Chalmers was born on 20 December 1986 in Edinburgh, Scotland, the son of John Chalmers, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland from 2014 to 2015.{{cite news |last1=Rocks |first1=Chelsea |title=JJ Chalmers: who is the Edinburgh-born Strictly Come Dancing contestant and could he be the second Scottish winner? |url=https://www.scotsman.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/jj-chalmers-who-edinburgh-born-strictly-come-dancing-contestant-partnered-amy-dowden-and-could-he-be-second-scottish-winner-3035345 |access-date=19 September 2022 |work=www.scotsman.com |date=13 November 2020 |language=en}}{{cite web |url=https://www.thecourier.co.uk/jj-with-his-father-the-rev-john-chalmers/ |title=JJ with his father, the Rev John Chalmers |author= |website=The Courier |date=15 April 2016 |access-date=27 September 2017}} He attended Strathallan School and studied at the University of Edinburgh, graduating as a Bachelor of Education. He worked as a craft, design and technology teacher at Balerno Community High School in Edinburgh.{{cite news |last=Barry |first=Maggie |date=2011-07-03 |title= Dad of soldier blown up in Afghanistan charts harrowing battle to recover in moving emails |url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/real-life/dad-of-soldier-blown-up-in-afghanistan-1107046 |work=Daily Record |access-date=2020-09-03}}
He joined the Royal Marines Reserves whilst working as a teacher. As a Royal Marine, he served in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, attached to 42 Commando. In May 2011, he sustained severe injuries in an IED blast; he suffered facial injuries, lost two fingers and his right elbow disintegrated.{{cite AV media |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p026bxnf |title=Invictus Games: JJ Chalmers recalls being blown up |publisher=BBC |date=9 September 2014 |accessdate=23 March 2018 }} He remained in the Royal Marines during his rehabilitation until 2016.
Invictus Games
In September 2014, Chalmers was a medal winner in non-amputee cycling for Britain at the Invictus Games.{{cite web |url=http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/see-the-difference/stories/jj-chalmers-elite-military-athlete/ |title=JJ Chalmers Elite Military Athlete |author= |publisher=Help for Heroes |access-date= 22 September 2017}} Captaining the trike team, he received a gold medal for the Men's IRecB1 Recumbent Circuit Race, as part of a British trio who crossed the finishing line together.{{cite web |url=http://www.scoutlondon.com/jj-chalmers |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170903044523/http://www.scoutlondon.com/jj-chalmers |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 September 2017 |title=JJ Chalmers |publisher=Scout London |accessdate=23 March 2018 }} Earlier that day Chalmers had already won a bronze in the 1-mile time trial.{{cite web |url=http://2014.invictusgames.org/results/EventSchedule.html?sportId=3 |title=2014 Results |author= |publisher=Invictus Games Foundation |access-date=22 September 2017}} He also won a bronze medal in the 4 × 100m mixed relay race.{{cite news |url=http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/marine-fights-back-to-win-invictus-games-medal-1-3540721 |title=Marine fights back to win Invictus Games medal |author= |date=13 September 2014 |work=Edinburgh Evening News |access-date=22 September 2017 }}
Media career
Chalmers subsequently presented National Paralympic Day for Channel 4,{{cite web |url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/561893e1511df |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170204011034/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/561893e1511df |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 February 2017 |title=JJ Chalmers |publisher=British Film Institute |accessdate=23 March 2018 }} as well as an online show for the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha. In July 2016, he returned to the 2016 Invictus Games as an ambassador, telling his story at the opening ceremony as well as working with the BBC in their coverage of the games.
Chalmers featured on The Superhumans Show before travelling to Rio de Janeiro as a presenter for Channel 4's coverage of the 2016 Summer Paralympics,{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/entertainment-arts-37251309/surviving-bomb-pushed-me-to-be-paralympics-presenter |title=Surviving bomb pushed me to be Paralympics presenter |author= |publisher=BBC News |date=1 September 2016 |access-date=22 September 2017}} as well as appearing as a guest on The Last Leg series Live from Rio. After returning from Rio he hosted the Team GB Olympics and Paralympics Homecoming Parade in Manchester,{{Cite web|last=Limited|first=Alamy|title=Stock Photo - Manchester, UK. 17th Oct, 2016. Richard Whitehead (2nd left) and JJ Chalmers (left) with Hannah Cockcroft (right) and Helen Skelton. TeamGB and ParalympicsGB Heroes homecoming|url=https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-manchester-uk-17th-oct-2016-richard-whitehead-2nd-left-and-jj-chalmers-123355683.html|access-date=2020-09-02|website=Alamy|language=en}} alongside Mark Chapman and Helen Skelton.
Owing to his background as a Royal Marine, Chalmers presented The People Remember, with Sophie Raworth,{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06nsc42|title=BBC One - The People Remember|access-date=2020-09-02|website=www.bbc.co.uk}} a series shown throughout the week of remembrance, before appearing on the BBC's coverage of Remembrance at the Cenotaph.
Also in 2016 Chalmers was co-commentator of the Lord Mayor's Show on BBC One.
On 21 February 2017,{{Citation needed|date=February 2017}} Chalmers began presenting some of the sports segments on the BBC News channel and BBC Breakfast. He joined the BBC Sport Team, working as a presenter and reporter on events like the Great North, Great Manchester Run and The London Marathon.{{Cite web|title=JJ Chalmers|url=https://sport-onthebox.com/tag/jj-chalmers/|access-date=2020-09-02|website=Sport On The Box|language=en-US}} He also joined The One Show as a features reporter.{{cn|date=September 2023}}
In 2017 Chalmers began working in radio, as part of BBC Radio 5 Live's, World Para Athletics coverage of London 2017, as well as presenting the Sports Journalists Award nominated radio documentary, To Helmand and Back.{{Cite web|title=Broadcast shortlist for 2017 British Sports Journalism awards – Sports Journalists' Association|date=30 January 2018 |url=https://www.sportsjournalists.co.uk/awards-news/broadcast-shortlist-for-2017-british-sports-journalism-awards/|access-date=2020-09-02|language=en-GB}} He ended the year presenting the 2017 Invictus Games, held in Toronto.{{Cite web|title=BBC - JJ Chalmers Q&A - Media Centre|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/invictus/chalmers|access-date=2020-09-02|website=www.bbc.co.uk}}
In 2018 he worked as a trackside reporter for BBC Sport at the World Athletics Indoor Championships, then as 5 Live's main reporter of the 2018 Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang, before presenting for BBC Sport's coverage of the Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast and the 2018 Invictus Games in Sydney.
Away from sport, Chalmers took part in Pilgrimage: Road to Santiago,{{Citation|title=The Pilgrimage: Road to Santiago (TV Series 2018– ) - IMDb|date=15 March 2018|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt7534720/|access-date=2020-09-02}} where seven celebrities undertook a medieval pilgrimage, across the North of Spain, to see whether it still has relevance today. He worked for the BBC on events such as Trooping the Colour and the commemorations to mark the 75th Anniversary of the D-Day landings.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07dh148/p07dh0g0|title=Preparing for D-Day 75|access-date=2020-09-02|website=www.bbc.co.uk}} He narrated Scotland Remembers 100 Years of Armistice, a nationally broadcast service from Glasgow Cathedral.{{Cite web|last=ww100Admin|date=2018-11-11|title=Scotland Remembers 100 Years of Armistice|url=http://ww100scotland.com/news/scotland-remembers-100-years-of-armistice/|access-date=2020-09-02|website=ww100|language=en-US|archive-date=11 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201211230311/http://ww100scotland.com/news/scotland-remembers-100-years-of-armistice/|url-status=dead}}
In 2019, he was a part of the BBC's team working on RideLondon, 2019 UCI Road World Championships and Glasgow Track Cycling World Cup.
On 3 September 2020, it was announced that Chalmers would be taking part in the eighteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing. He danced with professional Amy Dowden.{{cite news |last1=Bussey |first1=Katrine |title=Former Church leader shares memories of Queen's letter about Strictly star son |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/balmoral-bbc-tv-presenter-aberdeenshire-royal-marine-b2166201.html |access-date=19 September 2022 |work=The Independent |date=13 September 2022 |language=en}} He was eliminated in the quarter finals of the competition, after losing the dance-off to Jamie Laing and Karen Hauer.
In March 2021, the BBC announced that Chalmers would be joining Sarah Moore and Jacqui Joseph as a presenter on Money For Nothing. {{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2021/jj-chalmers-money-for-nothing|title=JJ Chalmers to join Money For Nothing presenting line up on BBC One Daytime|website=.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre|access-date=29 March 2021}} In April, Chalmers was part of the BBC presentation team covering the funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.{{cite news |title=Prince Philip's funeral: 13.6 million watch ceremony in UK |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-56792086 |access-date=19 September 2022 |work=BBC News |date=18 April 2021}} On 24 June Chalmers was announced as one of the presenters for BBC coverage of the 2020 Summer Olympics to be held in Tokyo.{{Cite news|title=BBC announces Tokyo 2020 coverage plans|language=en-GB|work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/57597043 |access-date=2021-08-01}} He was coincidentally flown out to Tokyo by the same pilot who flew him home from Afghanistan while Chalmers was in a medically-induced coma.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/disability-58329277|title = JJ Chalmers: Meeting the pilot who flew me home injured from Afghanistan|work = BBC News|date = 25 August 2021}}
In early 2022 Chalmers presented Dunkirk: Mission Impossible; a three-part television series focusing on the events of Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of Allied soldiers during World War II from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk.{{cite web|url=https://www.channel5.com/show/dunkirk-mission-impossible/season-1|title=Dunkirk: Mission Impossible |website=channel5.com|access-date=6 March 2022}} In April 2022 Chalmers appeared on BBC's Gardeners' World, introducing the garden at his family home of six years, in Fife, Scotland.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m00165gr/gardeners-world-2022-episode-5|title = Gardeners' World - 2022: Episode 5}}
In November 2022, Chalmers was the anchor presenter for the BBC coverage of the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup.{{cn|date=September 2023}}
In August 2023, Chalmers co-presented The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo with Jennifer Reoch for BBC One.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001q28h|title=The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo|website=bbc.co.uk|accessdate=1 September 2023}}
In August 2024, Chalmers co-presented “Warship: Life in The Royal Navy” for Channel 5 with Julia Bradbury.{{cite web|url= https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/defence/royal-navy-documentary-hms-prince-of-wales-portsmouth-4739053|title=Warship: Life in The Royal Navy|website=portsmouth.co.uk|accessdate=13 August 2024}}
Personal life
Chalmers is married to Kornelia; they have a daughter and a son together.{{cite news|last=Kelly|first=Guy|date=2020-10-17|title=JJ Chalmers: 'Strictly will be daunting – but I've seen worse'|language=en-GB|work=The Daily Telegraph|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking-man/jj-chalmers-strictly-will-daunting-seen-worse/|access-date=2020-10-17|issn=0307-1235}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Twitter}}
- {{Facebook}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chalmers, JJ}}
Category:People from Edinburgh
Category:People educated at Strathallan School
Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
Category:Scottish people with disabilities
Category:Scottish television presenters
Category:Paralympic Games broadcasters
Category:21st-century Royal Marines personnel
Category:Royal Navy personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)