Jodie Marsh: MotoGP's for men, football for girls.

Model and motorcycle fan Jodie Marsh was given the honour of cutting the ribbon at the official opening of the new Donington Park pit and paddock complex last Friday.

"That was just such an honour for me, I feel so chuffed just to be asked," the former Big Brother contestant told Crash.net Radio after the opening ceremony. "I'm such a massive fan of motorsport - and in particular MotoGP and British Superbikes. It's just incredible - I've had the best day ever, ever, ever!"

So was it better than being at all the parties and film premieres in London?

"Yeah, this is much better!" she replied. "I'd rather be here every single day than go to another premiere ever again. I'd happily give the whole lot up just to be here. I was here at Donington last year for the GP and I just had such a good time. I brought my Dad - both of us had been fans for years - and I just feel so happy when I'm around the track and the riders, I love everything about it."

So what is it in particular that makes bike racing so special?

"I've always loved motorbikes anyway and I ride a motorbike - I've got a Yamaha R6 - but I think in general it's just how skilled it is as a sport," explained Jodie, a former grid girl and girlfriend of Shane Byrne (top picture). "There's so much skill involved and it's so fast and so dangerous - it's just the whole thrill of it and how brilliant the riders are, obviously in particular Valentino Rossi.

"For me it's a real sport - I don't go for things like football and all the rest of it - to me that's girly sport. You know, you see the footballers' falling over on the pitch and pretending to cry when they hurt their leg or whatever. I just think 'oh grow up and be a man'. MotoGP is real sport."

As a self confessed Rossi fan, Jodie - like millions of the Italian superstar's followers - admitted to watching in horror as he was taken out in the first turn at the season opening Spanish Grand Prix.

"I was absolutely devastated when he came off," she confessed, "but good on him for getting back on - and he even managed to beat two people, which I thought was absolutely amazing. I was gutted for him, of course I was, and I want to see him do a lot, lot better at the next race obviously. He hasn't lost it as far as being the king of MotoGP - I'm hoping that this year he will win hands-down again and all will be returned to normal at the next race. I think Dani Pedrosa did very well and good luck to him. I think that he's quite an exciting new edition to MotoGP - I don't think anybody expected him to come second."

Something all Rossi and MotoGP fans are having to face at the moment is the Italian's possible defection to Formula One next season - but Marsh doesn't think the five times MotoGP champion will leave just yet.

"Personally I don't think he will go to Formula One - not just yet anyway - I think he's got a good two or three years more in MotoGP, because I don't think he'll be satisfied with the titles he has at the moment and wants to be the best ever," she said. "If he did leave at the end of this year I would be devastated, absolutely devastated, because I think the bikes are more fun and better to watch than the cars and if he left - I would obviously follow him - but it would be a major loss to bikes."

Finally, Jodie completed several pillion laps of Donington Park at the opening ceremony - an experience that, even as a regular rider, she found "absolutely amazing".

"I can't even describe what it was like," she added. "I'm literally lost for words. It makes you appreciate the sport even more than you already did, if that's possible, and it makes you realise just how insane the riders are! We were doing wheelies, my knee was nearly on the floor in the corners, it was just unbelievable. I ride myself, so I'm used to being on a bike, but that was just something else."