It was an honour to be on the front cover of Jenner's department store magazine. Known as the Harrods of the North it was until recently the only family run department store in the world.

'J' Magazine Editoral Team caught up with Marie Clair in store, to catch a peek into her bag's and check out what she simply couldn't leave Jenners without!

As the name say's, this magazine is aimed at Scottish women. I was asked if I wanted to do an interview with the magazine in November 2003. It was supposed to be a little article but as you can see it grew arms and legs. The reason I ended up on the front cover (and this is a true story) is that Sharleen Spiteri from the band Texas was supposed to be on the front cover, but unfortunately she had to pull out. You can imagine my surprise when they asked me to stand in for her. I was delighted! It felt really bizarre walking into shops and supermarkets and seeing my face staring back at me from the shelves. Previous front cover celebrities have been Jenni Falconer and Lorraine Kelly.

Read an excerpt of my interview below:

Waking up to a real voice

She’s fun, funky and even at five in the morning, she can cheer people up and make them laugh. For Real Radio breakfast show co-presenter Marie-Clair McManus, the biggest challenge is getting out of bed.

Fact File

Favourite Food
Thai and meat – hates vegetarian

Favourite Drinks
Wine, Southern Comfort with lemonade

Musical Choice
Wide – everything from Sinatra and Elvis to Robbie Williams, Madonna and Travis.

Starsign
Leo

Pet Hate
Cleaning the toilet

Favourite TV Shows
Friends, Coldfeet, Ruby Wax

Essential in the morning
Earl Grey tea, Radiant Touch eye concealer from YSL

Instant magazine can be found in trendy coffee shops all over central Scotland. Doing 20 questions with them was fun as you can read below...

20 Questions with:
Marie-Clair McManus, co-presenter of the Breakfast Show on Real Radio (100-101 FM)

Who would you like to be stranded on a desert island with? Why?
Robin Galloway, whom I work with on the Real Radio Breakfast Show. He’s very funny, and we could talk about music all day long and not get bored.

What was the last performance you went to?
West Life. Don’t laugh – I got free tickets. They weren’t bad actually.

If your house was on fire, what three things would you save?
My jewellery box, because my parents gave it to me for Christmas. My teddy bear Sweep, who has been with me since the day I was born. A photograph of my family.

What’s in your fridge?
A half pint of semi-skimmed milk, caffeine-free Diet Coke, strawberries, a bag of mixed salad, one breast of Marks & Spencer chicken, two green peppers, a lemon, feta cheese and a box of After Eight mints.

If you could go back in your life and change one thing, what would it be?
I would have told my parents that I was being bullied at school and ask them to move me.

What is your worst habit?
Finishing off other people’s sentences.

Describe your favourite meal – starter, main course, dessert, beverages.
The meal someone else cooks! I can’t cook to save myself. As for beverages, lots of champagne.

What is your first memory?
Taking my shoes and socks off and jumping in a huge puddle outside my parents’ house with a gal when I was five. It didn’t go down very well with my mother.

What were the last few videos you rented?
8 Mile, Catch Me If You Can, Gangs of New York (dull as dishwater).

What other career would you have liked to have had?
Something in fashion.

What was the last dream you remember?
Trying to get in a car, and it kept driving off by itself.

Read any good books lately?
Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt and The King of Torts by John Grisham.

Best song to dance to?
Disco Inferno by The Trammps.

Do you associate a song or piece of music with a time or place in your life?
Wham! Remind me of school discos. The Chimes, an Edinburgh group who had a hit with I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, with a holiday in Crete. Groove is in the Heart by D-Lite reminds me of clubbing with my friend Amanda.

Any unfulfilled ambitions?
For Robin and I to have our own daytime TV programme. It would be an absolute blast. We’d be taken off the air after the first show!

What do you think is the single most important issue facing the world?
Famine.

Who would we find in your CD collection?
Travis, Deacon Blue, Wham!, Beyonce, Madonna, Frank Sinatra, Texas, Oasis, Verve, The Rolling Stones, Dean Martin, Kylie, Gabrielle…

What is your favourite place in the world?
The Maldives in the Indian Ocean.

What physical attribute do you a) least and b) most like about yourself?
a) My height. I’m 5’2”, and I always wanted to be taller. B) My cheekbones.

How would you spend a day off?
Sleeping. You try getting up at 3am five days a week.