After working as a secretary, Jonsson began her television career on TV-am in 1989, as a weather presenter on Good Morning Britain.
In 1992, she moved into mainstream presenting and played host to numerous shows including ITV's Gladiators, The National Lottery Draws – plus two major international broadcasts, the Eurovision Song Contest in 1998 and Miss World in 1999.
She also modelled for Playtex Lingerie during this period and was a team captain on the BBC TV quiz show Shooting Stars.
Entitled It's Ulrika!, the show featured Jonsson singing and acting in comedy sketches written specially for her by Shooting Stars hosts Vic Reeves (under his real name of Jim Moir) and Bob Mortimer, who both appeared in various supporting roles.
In 1997, Jonsson interviewed the then British Prime Minister John Major for the BBC2 programme The Enormous Election.
Jonsson was booked to host Channel 5's reality game show Jailbreak in Autumn 2000 but had to pull out of the project due to health concerns over her newborn child.
The programme featured a candid interview with Jonsson, received heavy press attention and attracted 2.8 million viewers.
[6] After intense media attention relating to events in her private life, Jonsson decided to return to Sweden.
The Swedish television network TV3 offered her the role as hostess of the Miss Sweden beauty pageant.
On 20 January 2007, she joined 10 celebrities to take part in the ITV reality TV show Dancing on Ice, where she was partnered with Pavel Aubrecht.
With previous skating experience in her native Sweden, Jonsson was expected to go far in the event but finished 9th after being beaten in the skate-off by Kay Burley during week 3.
On 20 March 2007, she appeared in the confessional TV show, Ulrika: Am I a Sex Addict?, broadcast on Channel 4.
[7] In April 2009, it was confirmed that Jonsson would return to Shooting Stars as team captain for a full series airing later that year.
[11] On 27 October 2021, Channel 4 announced Jonsson would be taking part in the tenth series of Celebs Go Dating, alongside Abz Love, Ryan-Mark Parsons, Miles Nazaire, Chloe Brockett, Nikita Jasmine, Marty McKenna and Jessika Power.
Jonsson eventually progressed to the finals night, as the only woman left, after La Toya Jackson was evicted by public vote on Day 20.
[24] In June 1998, during the 1998 World Cup, Collymore issued a public apology after he was violent towards Jonsson during an argument in a Paris bar.
[23] In April 2002, Jonsson confirmed reports that she had had an affair with Sven-Göran Eriksson, then-manager of England's football team, who had a long-time girlfriend.