Rebecca Jackson on life in male-dominated motorsport

When racing driver Rebecca Jackson first joined online car forums, she used only her surname to avoid being pre-judged for her gender.

It was not until her first real-life meet that her cover was blown. "I got out of the car and they went, 'Oh, Jackson's a girl,'" she said.

Used to "male-dominated environments" and "mickey taking" thanks to her dad's work as an engineer, she said she simply replied: "Yeah, Jackson's a girl."

Now the Portsmouth-born presenter, also known for her reviews in print and on YouTube, says she has witnessed a surge in the number of women hitting the track.

She said "loads of girls" had become interested in cars and she had even devised her own system for measuring the rise.

"When I was a little girl going to the toilet at the motor racing circuits, there was no queue," Jackson told BBC Radio Solent.

"And now you go to a motor racing circuit and the queue can be really long."

After running her own used-car business, Jackson began racing at 26 and worked her way up from club level to compete at Le Mans, Dubai and the Nürburgring.

Though men frequently outnumber women, Jackson said the racetrack itself acted as a leveller.

"When you had your helmet on, nobody cared whether you were male or female, they just cared about beating the competition," she said.

Alongside her other work, Jackson has reviewed cars since 2011, and has presented on ITV4, Dave and Fifth Gear.

In 2015, she and a co-driver set a Guinness World Record for the most countries visited by car on a single tank of fuel - covering 14 countries in an Audi A6.

Now living in Berkshire with her seven-year-old twins, life remains in the fast lane.

"I had this racing, writing media career that was... I didn't realise that all three things would be happening at once," she said.

"Now instead of racing, I'm raising children. So my life has always been full. It's just full in a different way now."

Despite juggling a media career and family, Jackson has managed to find some quieter moments.

But those moments may not last long. Her son and daughter, both regulars at the skate park, have already revealed a passion for speed.

"I'm a massive wheels person and so it's not a surprise, really, that my offspring will be interested in wheels," she said.

"I've not forced this in any way."

But Jackson said, ultimately, she wanted her children to do what made them happy.

"I actually really like whatever they're interested in," she said.

"I've really loved to support them in that and be their number one fan.

"And if it happens to be outdoors, that's even better because I do like being outside. So outdoor skate ramps are definitely a win for me."