I quit TV because it’s too trashy
SAYS WOMAN WHO PRESENTED BIG BROTHER AND GLADIATORS
ULRIKA Jonsson says she took a step back from TV presenting because there were too many “trashy shows” on the box.
And she reckons that “everyone on social media” thought they could do her job.
The presenter – who appeared on programmes such as TV-am, Gladiators, Shooting Stars and Celebrity Big Brother in the past – decided to ditch telly to become a stay-at-home mum.
Jonsson, 50, told Hello! magazine: “I didn’t understand it any more and wasn’t sure I wanted to be part of it.
“I’m old school and had trained to be a presenter but suddenly everyone on social media thought they could perform that role, too.
“There were also so many commercial TV channels and more trashy shows.”
She added: “At a time when I was eager to make documentaries on travel, cooking and serious human interest issues, it felt like quality on every level was being watered down.”
Jonsson – who has four kids aged between nine and 23 – is currently a contestant on BBC1’s Celebrity MasterChef.
She said: “As my 50th loomed, I had this feeling that if I didn’t go on MasterChef now, I probably never would. After a break of many years from TV, it seemed like the right time and place to dip back into it.”
Jonsson said she wanted to introduce a “Swedish flavour to the mix” and to prove there is more to her home nation’s cuisine than “Ikea meatballs”.
Jonsson said she is ageing gracefully – and claims she is not a one of those women who “do a lot of things to their faces”. She said: “If anything I’ve put weight on, my cheeks look like balloons.” Jonsson said she was “too skinny” previously as she struggled to eat while suffering from back pain caused by a degenerative disc condition. “Now, I manage the pain and love my food,” she said.