She is best known to British audiences for her portrayal of the endearing Alice Tinker in the BBC television series The Vicar of Dibley, written by Richard Curtis, for which she won the 1998 British Comedy Award for Best Actress. Chambers also starred as Charity Pecksniff in the acclaimed BBC production of Martin Chuzzlewit, and in How do You Want Me?, The Mixer, Skullduggery, The Secret Garden and Drop The Dead Donkey.

Her many theatre credits include Tartuffe at the Almeida, Trelawney of the Wells and Invisible Friends at the Royal National Theater and Henceforward in the West End.