JEAN Johansson has navigated the world of children’s telly (boy bands, gunge and all) and been butted by a feisty goat while filming in a safari park.

However, the TV presenter, known for her roving reporter roles on BBC’s The One Show and Animal Park, is now facing one of her toughest challenges to date as a contestant on Celebrity MasterChef.

Jean, 37, is reticent about giving too much away. “I have to be so careful,” she says. “I got a big page from the PR in London about what not to say.”

Ah, no spoilers here then … What she does allude to is how much the show has pushed Jean out of her comfort zone. “It is nerve-racking,” she admits. “What you don’t see is the number of cameras in that studio. There is more than one crew going around filming everything.

“At home I’m quite a chilled-out cook. I will have Desert Island Discs on, a glass of red wine and take my time to produce a nice meal. But on MasterChef you have all those cameras, there’s [the judges] Gregg [Wallace] and John [Torode], and you’re thinking: ‘Don’t mess anything up …’”

She likens cooking under pressure to sitting her driving test. “Your mind goes blank. You know you can drive, but in that moment – as someone who failed five times – everything goes out of your head. Common sense leaves you.

“Timing is everything. If there wasn’t the time [limit] on it, everyone would be a MasterChef champion. It is the time that gets you, the multitasking and remembering you are boiling one thing while something else is blanching and that you need to take another dish out of the oven.”

Her fellow contestants include comedian Zoe Lyons, T’Pau frontwoman Carol Decker, actor Keith Allen, Paralympian Stef Reid, reality TV star Gemma Collins as well as Dolly Parton’s younger sister Stella, herself a renowned country singer, and Frankie Bridge from girl band The Saturdays.

“I’m not allowed to say who is in my heat, but I made some good friends for life which I didn’t expect,” says Jean. “I turned up on day one and was the first person to arrive. Then one after the other all these celebrities were walking in.

“That was daunting. It was well-known face after well-known face, which was exciting but nerve-racking. I felt like a bit of an imposter because celebrity is not a word that I attach to myself whatsoever. I felt a little bit like the odd one out.

“But after half a day together we were best pals.”

The second youngest of seven children, Jean grew up in Port Glasgow. Her father John is a retired English teacher and her mother Winnie a housewife.

“They met in the 1970s in East Africa,” she says.

“My dad was working as a teacher. I was born in Kenya and we moved here in early 1980s.”

Her first foray into the spotlight came as a 15-year-old model.

“My idols at that time were Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Tyra Banks. I loved the camera.

“If I hadn’t become a TV presenter, I would have done something behind the scenes: writing, producing, directing or photography.”

Opportunity knocked when Jean was 18 and attended an open audition where she was selected from hundreds of teens to become one of the presenters for a new children’s TV show.

“It was all quite late 1990s – wacky, loud and funky – all those words we don’t use now. It was called UKool …”

After she and her husband had a son Junior, now seven, Jean had a short career break. “I took some time off to concentrate on being a mum.”

She is married to retired Finnish international footballer Jonatan Johansson, 42, who during his playing career spent time at Scottish clubs Rangers, Hibs and St Johnstone. Most recently he was an assistant coach at Rangers but left at the end of last season.

The couple have been together for 20 years and married for a decade. Earlier this summer they renewed their marriage vows in Majorca.

“I can’t believe it,” she smiles. “We were just a pair of kids running around Glasgow and here we are 20 years later.”

They met when she was 17 and her now husband 22. “I was still at school and had a part-time job at a golf club in Langbank. He used to come in and play a lot of golf. We met there.”

Was it love at first sight? She laughs. “For him. I don’t think I was taking it very seriously.”

So, he had to work hard to win her over? “Oh, definitely. I had no interest in settling down with anyone.

“I was getting ready to finish school and go off travelling. I was just starting my life and not looking for a boyfriend at all.”

But fall in love they did. She embarked on a very different kind of adventure as Jonatan played for Charlton Athletic, Norwich City, Malmo and Finnish club TPS.

These days home is near Wemyss Bay. Jean can often be found pounding the pavements or hotfooting it through the surrounding parks.

“I started running last year,” she says. “It is a brilliant head-clearer for me. I’m not Jessica Ennis – I jog rather than run – but I love it.”

Chances are her work diary might be getting a whole lot busier. “I’m shooting a couple of pilots for the new BBC Scotland channel so I’m excited about that.

“To be able to drive half an hour to work as opposed to planes, trains and automobiles would be amazing.”

Jean is sanguine when asked about her dream job. “I would like to be hosting The One Show,” she says.

“Doing that live daily show and coming into people’s living rooms, talking about what is going on in the world. I am never going to be Kirsty Wark, but I like the lighter side of news.

“It’s the same with This Morning. During my years of being a stay-at-home mum it was a saviour.

“When you are sitting there breastfeeding with baby brain, it keeps you in touch with what is going on in an accessible way.

“I would love to be that person like Lorraine Kelly who, when you put on the TV in the morning, is there smiling and happy, telling you what is happening with a bit of showbiz, politics, food and fashion. I love that – it is very me.”

Celebrity MasterChef begins on BBC One, tomorrow, 8pm