Ali DeFoy

You must have awoken at a punishingly early hour? Yes, between four and half past four in the morning. My life has always been a bit topsy-turvy, but working in TV and radio that’s just the way it is really.

When did you decide that you wanted to be a presenter? When I was fourteen. I used to watch Lorraine Kelly, Ant and Dec and Cat Deeley and think, ‘Oh my gosh, that looks like the best job in the world!’

How did you get started? I did my work experience at PACE in Paisley. I was supposed to be going to Scottish Ballet but there was some water damage, the roof fell in, so my dad managed to get me a last minute place at PACE. Then a friend told me that the Dance School of Scotland were doing a musical theatre course. I already sang and danced and did theatre, so I auditioned for that and got accepted.

And that led you to the prestigious Italia Conti Academy in London. What was that like? Mental! You’re surrounded by children of celebrities and people who think they’re celebrities when they’re not quite there yet. It’s surreal, people are walking down the street in ballet buns, leggings and leotards, with everyone else thinking, ‘What are these drama kids doing?!’ It was all a bit much for me. I’m from Paisley, I’m just a normal person, but the confidence they have down there is on another level. In London you have to get yourself noticed, and I’m not pushy like that.

Do you enjoy your job? I absolutely love it. A lot of people think you just talk, but a lot of what I do involves listening. I get to find out about people from all walks of life, not just celebrities. I’ve covered the Open championships over the last three years and interviewed top international golfers – that’s been an amazing experience. To be around the excitement of the Open and to be able to call that my job is just unbelievable, I pinch myself.

FAVOURITE PLACE IN RENFREWSHIRE? St Mirren Football Club

BEST PLACE FOR LUNCH? Papamacs in Johnstone

BEST PUB? The River Inn in Houston

Find out more about Ali at officialalidefoy.com. She can also be found at facebook.com/ AliDeFoyOfficial/ and on Twitter at @AliDeFoy.