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How did you get onto TOTP?

"Well, it was via Radio 1. I was working at Radio Merseyside and I'd interviewed Paul Gambiccini. Without me knowing, Paul had recommended me to Radio 1 and the next thing it was - "Janice Long - first woman since Annie Nightingale to join Radio One" blah blah blah. Then all of a sudden you’re on Top of the Pops on Thursday. I had to go along with Gary Davies and Pat Sharp who joined at the same time. They gave us anoraks and we all looked like petrol pump attendants - white anoraks with your name on it - just in case you forgot! Peter Powell was presenting and he asked me where I was from. I said "Liverpool" and everybody just went uh - that was my first appearance on TOTP."

What do you remember about the first time you actually presented the show?
"That was the next year and I really couldn’t believe it. It was Top of the Pops. Everybody watches this show. All of a sudden to be standing there doing it and seeing the bands perform was amazing. I remember I got there too early. They said I had to arrive at 4 or something but I was there at 10 o’clock in the morning, I was so excited!"

What did you make of the attention you got for being the first woman to present TOTP?
"I just found it unbelievable that it had taken so long! You didn’t really think about it until then. Why aren’t there more women? But there was that attitude if you’re a girl in certain quarters that you can’t be into music, which is nonsense. You worked at Radio 1 and you presented TOTP and it actually got to the stage that I was presenting more TOTP than anybody. I think I was on consecutive weeks."

What were your thoughts on the style of presenting?
"It was cheesy wasn’t it! Very Smashy and Nicey. They did personify the whole thing. You went along to TOTP to rehearse. I think I’m pretty hyper anyway but they would say "Can you be livelier "? and at the end of it you would be absolutely exhausted because you would always have to pre-record the chart run downs and they would go "No, no - one more time ". It was just mad because you were trying to be witty where possible in between the tracks with some clever banter and sometimes getting into trouble!. Saying about " Somebody must have liked this record to get it to No.1" and people complaining and Anne Robinson telling us off on Points of View. And there was a wonderful time when John Peel and I were presenting and Pete Wylie was on doing 'Sinful' and we both loved this record. We were both standing on the bridge (because they had different bits - first shot will be on the bridge - always that shot when it goes right up your nose! 14 chins and up your nose) and he said "If that doesn’t make No.1 I’m going to come round and break wind in your kitchen" and I just burst out laughing."