JJ Chalmers
JJ Chalmers is to be awarded a Doctor of Laws (LLD) on Wednesday 4 December during the morning ceremony.
John-James Chalmers, known as JJ, is a TV presenter with a remarkable story.
The career of the former Royal Marine Commando was cut short after he suffered life-changing injuries following an IED explosion in Afghanistan. After years of rehabilitation, JJ competed in the 2014 Invictus Games where he captained the Trike Cycling team and took home three medals. As a spokesperson for this inaugural Invictus Games, JJ got an insight into TV during the publicity rounds. He was seeking a new and thrilling adventure and the experience led him to embark on a broadcasting career.
JJ hit the ground running in 2016 with a Studio Presenter role for the Rio Paralympics and, since 2017, has anchored BBC1’s coverage of the Invictus Games. JJ has become a key part of the BBC’s sports team with highlights including The Commonwealth Games, The London Marathon and The Great North Run.
As part of the BBC’s Ceremonial coverage JJ has commentated on The Lord Mayor’s Show and considers himself privileged to have been involved in the DDay Memorial coverage, Trooping the Colour, The Duke of Edinburgh’s and Her Majesty The Queen’s funeral and The Coronation programming.
Other BBC credits include The One Show, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Pilgrimage, The People Remember and the acclaimed documentary for Radio 5 Live from Helmand and Back.
In 2020, JJ joined the cast of Strictly Come Dancing on BBC1, dancing all the way to the Quarter Finals. Swapping the dance floor for his workshop, JJ then joined the BBC1’s Money For Nothing, showcasing his crafting and design skills.
JJ continues to be an integral part of BBC1’s Olympic presenter squad and Channel Four’s Paralympics coverage. For Channel 5 he has fronted the three-part series Dunkirk as well as joining The Chelsea Flower Show team for the BBC.
Last year saw JJ hosting Beyond Bombs, a podcast series for The Halo Trust and BBC1’s hit series The Travelling Auctioneers. JJ recently fronted Warship: Life In The Royal Navy, a three-part series for Channel 5 during which the film crew were given unprecedented access to the Royal Navy.