Dawn Airey, with her wide, somewhat crooked smile, designer trouser suits and talent for conjuring up a provocative quote, is, at 47, director of global content for ITV and one of the most prominent women in British television.

She appears to revel in her semi-affectionate nicknames, among them Scary Airey, Zulu Dawn – coined years ago by her then and current boss Michael Grade – and, most recently, the Steamroller.