Jonsson: Weathering the gossip storm

Jonsson is currently hosting quiz show Dog Eat Dog

Ulrika Jonsson first hit the TV screens in the UK as a weather presenter on TVAM in 1983 - overnight becoming a darling of the gossip pages.

The Scandinavian had been spotted working as a secretary of the now defunct TV-am offices and was given her small screen break as one of the new breed of female weather stars.

Her bubbly personality and willingness to laugh at herself ensured she became a TV favourite.

Jonsson is one of the original line-up of surreal comedy quiz Shooting Stars

At the start of her TV career she was married to cameraman John Turnbull, the father of her eldest child Cameron.

But the couple split and this marked the beginning of a series of high-profile relationships with celebrities, which have been raked over in the press.

The most explosive of these being with England football manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, which was revealed shortly before he took the team to World Cup.

Six months later she published her autobiography, Honest, for which she received reports of between £400,000 and £700,000 for the serialisation rights.

And hardly a day has gone by since when new revelations from the book have not dominated the tabloid headlines, from her romantic dalliances with celebrities to her allegation that she was raped when she was 19 years old.

Jonsson became a presenter of Gladiators, a hugely successful show which saw contestants pit their strength against a string of trained "gladiators", including Wolf and Lightening.

But it was with Gladiator Hunter, aka muscleman James Crossley, that she became an item.

Surreal gameshow

The pair were in a relationship for two years before it fizzled out.

In 1993, Jonsson was invited to appear as a team captain on the surreal gameshow Shooting Stars, written and hosted by Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer.

Jonsson finished with Stan Collymore in the wake of his attack in a Paris bar

This move is credited with helping the star shrug off her clean-cut image, giving her a cooler following and leading to frequent appearances in lads magazines such as Loaded and FHM.

Her ability to down a yard-of-ale during the show cemented this "ladette" facade.

Packed bar

In 1997 she began seeing troubled £7m Aston Villa striker Stan Collymore.

The relationship came to a dramatic end after Collymore attacked Jonsson in a Paris bar during the World Cup finals.

The bar was packed with fans and reporters, ensuring the assault was splashed across newspapers the following day.

Jonsson and Terry Wogan co-hosted the Eurovision Song Contest

Although Collymore made a public apology, Jonsson immediately left him.

Meanwhile, Jonsson's career continued to tick along.

Her bilingual skills landed her the job of Eurovision Song Contest host with Terry Wogan when it was staged in the UK.

Stage debut

Other appearances include TV charity auction Men for Sale, Jailbreak and The National Lottery.

Her latest TV outing is as the presenter of TV quiz show Dog Eat Dog.

Nancy Dell'Olio and Eriksson stayed together despite Ulrika's revelations

In a huge departure for the presenter she took to the boards to perform in the musical The Pyjama Game while it was in repertory in Birmingham - in a part made famous by Doris Day.

She took the decision not to continue with the show when it transferred to the West End, citing throat strain.

Jonsson suffered more heartache in 2000 when her daughter Bo was born with a heart defect, requiring surgery just days after birth.

At the same time her partner Marcus Kempen - Bo's father - left the family home.