The 5-minute Interview: Jo Whiley, Radio DJ and television presenter

'If you encourage the positive in a child, that's what will develop'

Known for her ability to spot the music industry's next big thing, the Radio 1 DJ Jo Whiley, 42, can be seen on television on Sundays, adjudicating for the T4 show 'MobileAct Unsigned'. This week, she is running the Little Noise Sessions in aid of Mencap. For details, visit www.mencapmusic.org.uk

If I weren't talking to you right now I'd be...

Watching the conclusion of Deal Or No Deal. It's a real guilty pleasure. I just checked into my hotel and it's on, so I'll watch that and then get ready to go out to Little Noise.

I wish that people would take more notice of...

The good in their kids, not the bad. It drives me insane when you see people calling their child an evil child or something. If you look for the positive and encourage it, that's what will develop.

A common misperception of me is...

That I discovered James Blunt. Someone wentinto Wikipedia and wrote that about me. I'm sure he's a very nice man but I certainly didn't discover him.

A phrase I use too often...

"I'm sorry I'm late." I must say that five times a day. And "Have you seen my..." – because I always lose everything.

The most surprising thing to happen to me was...

Finding myself in bed with Scott Mills. We were in Majorca and we'd been out and were having such fun. We were laughing and giggling but we were so loud that the hotel staff came up to tell us to be quiet. We both dived into the bed. It must have looked very wrong.

I am not a politician but...

I'd make damn sure that people with disabilities and their carers had enough money because they don't at the moment. It's an issue close to my heart because my sister was a victim of this. If they just had a bit more money, it would make such a difference to their quality of life.

I'm good at...

Spending money, board games and wakeboarding, which I'm not brilliant at but I love it.

I'm very bad at...

Dancing, time-keeping, sewing and doing nothing.

The ideal night out is...

With my best mate in a private members' club with a large Jack Daniel's and some chips with mayonnaise.

In weak moments I...

Eat every crisp in the house and watch reruns of Star Trek on UKTV Gold.

You know me as a DJ and presenter but in another life I'd have been...

An Olympic swimmer. It was a real dream of mine. But then you get to 14 or 15 and you realise there's only so much early morning training you can do, and you're not going to be a swimmer and there's a whole other life.

The best age to be is...

Right here, right now. My kids are delicious, I have a scrummy man and a brilliant job.

In a nutshell, my philosophy is this...

There's a little saying that my husband says to me: "Live the life you love and love the life you live."

Alice-Azania Jarvis