Steph McGovern believes stalking 'comes with the job' of TV presenter

Steph's Packed Lunch presenter Steph McGovern has recalled her brush with a stalker back when she worked at the BBC.

During her stint there, the 41-year-old fronted programmes such as Shop Well for Less (alongside The One Show's Alex Jones), Made in Great Britain, Watchdog, and even Have I Got News for You on occasion.

Read more: Could Steph McGovern replace Holly Willoughby as she has connections to This Morning?

In a new Sunday Express report, she claimed that "some guy" began "turning up everywhere" she went.

"He ended up writing to my family saying he was in a relationship with me. It was really crazy but BBC security dealt with it. I think they told him to go away, there were no charges. Once he was told to stop he did.

"It was frightening when it went to my parents as I did not know how he found out where they lived."

According to McGovern, though, who competed on last year's series of The Masked Dancer as Tomato Sauce, the very nature of her profession invites invasive attention.

"Sadly, I think it comes with the job as that is part of the success of being on TV," she suggested.

"You are looked up to as someone on telly and there can be somebody out there who just doesn't like it and they take it too far. It is a scary old thing."

Read more: Steph McGovern: 'I'm much better off since I quit BBC Breakfast'

Her comments come after the alleged kidnapping plot of fellow TV favourite Holly Willoughby. Such was its effect on her, Willoughby quit This Morning after 14 years this month.

Co-founder of PR agency 10 Yetis Digital, Andy Barr, exclusively told Yahoo in the aftermath: "I think she will take a much needed break away from the spotlight in order to recharge her batteries, ensure her family feels safe and secure and then consider her options.

"She has business interests outside of the celebrity world and is always going to be commanding large fees for one off advertisements so she has no need to immediately rush back into a high profile, five days a week TV show."

Watch: Steph McGovern has cervical smear test live on TV in bid to raise cancer awareness