Jump to content

Jane McDonald

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused with Jayne MacDonald.

Jane McDonald
Born (1963-04-04) 4 April 1963 (age 62)
Wakefield, England
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • television presenter
Years active1998–present
Spouse
Henrik Brixen
​
​
(m. 1998; div. 2003)​
Partner(s)Eddie Rothe
(2008–2021; his death)
Websitejane-mcdonald.com

Jane Ann McDonald (born 4 April 1963) is an English singer, songwriter, and television presenter. She first became known following her appearance on the BBC One show The Cruise in 1998. Later that year, her eponymous debut studio album topped the UK Albums Chart for three weeks and has had four UK top 10 albums. Her eleventh studio album, Living the Dream, was released in March 2026.[1]

McDonald has hosted or co-hosted daytime television shows including Loose Women and Star Treatment, with travel show Cruising with Jane McDonald winning a British Academy Television Award. She has also presented the travel shows Jane & Friends, Holidaying with Jane McDonald, Jane McDonald: My Yorkshire, Jane McDonald: Lost in Japan and Jane McDonald: From Pole to Pole.

Early life

[edit]

Jane Ann McDonald was born in Wakefield[2] on 4 April 1963.[3] She spent most of her life living with her mother, Jean, whom she regarded as her best friend; they shared a bungalow in Wakefield[4] until Jean's death when McDonald was 45 years old.[5][6][7]

Career

[edit]

After appearing on the series The Cruise in 1998,[8] McDonald was signed by independent record label Focus Music International[9] to make a covers album and a Christmas single.[10] Her self-titled debut album spent three weeks at No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart, while the single "Cruise into Christmas" (a medley of Christmas classics) reached the top 10 of the UK singles chart.[11] She then signed a recording contract with Universal Music TV,[12][13] guest hosted the National Lottery, and appeared on Star for a Night.

Beginning in 2004, McDonald was a regular presenter on the daytime television show Loose Women. It was confirmed on 16 July 2010 that she would depart the show for at least a year to concentrate on her music career, with a planned tour of Australia and New Zealand. Although the tour never developed, she proceeded to tour the UK and returned to the series in 2012. She left permanently in January 2014. In 2017, she wrote and recorded the album Hold the Covers Back and continued to tour the UK.[14]

In 2011, Wakefield Council awarded McDonald a star on its walk of fame.[15]

In 2013, McDonald hosted the makeover show Star Treatment. In 2015, she played Grizabella in the musical Cats. She has become more widely known for hosting travel shows such as Cruising with Jane McDonald, Jane and Friends, Holidaying with Jane McDonald, Jane McDonald: My Yorkshire, and Jane McDonald: Lost in Japan. Cruising with Jane McDonald won the 2018 BAFTA Award for Best Feature,[16] making it the first win for a Channel 5 show.[17]

On 1 June 2023, McDonald was announced as Phillip Schofield's replacement as the host of the British Soap Awards.[18] On 27 November 2023, she released the single "Believe In Christmas Eve"; it peaked at number 41 on the UK Singles Downloads Chart, becoming McDonald's second single to chart on a UK Singles chart.[19][20]

On 17 November 2025, McDonald announced the release of her then-upcoming eleventh studio album, Living the Dream, and announced her 2026 UK Tour.[21]

On 13 March 2026, McDonald released the single "Don't Mind If I Do" as the lead single from Living the Dream;[22][23]

Personal life

[edit]

In 1998, McDonald married Danish ship plumbing engineer Henrik Brixen, who later became her manager.[5][7][24] They divorced in 2003.[failed verification][25] Brixen later admitted that he did not understand the music industry.[6]

In 2008, McDonald reunited with The Searchers drummer Eddie Rothe, whom she had briefly dated in 1980 when she was 17 and he was 26.[25] They became engaged on 24 December 2008,[25] but never married.[26] Rothe died of lung cancer at the age of 67 on 26 March 2021.[27]

Discography

[edit]

Albums

[edit]
Title Details Peak chart positions Certifications
UK
[11]
Jane McDonald[28] 1
Inspiration[A] 6
Love at the Movies[B]
  • Released: 15 October 2001
  • Label: Universal Music TV
  • Formats: Digital download, CD
 24
You Belong to Me
  • Released: 24 January 2005
  • Label: DMG TV
  • Formats: Digital download, CD
 21
Jane
  • Released: 11 August 2008
  • Label: JMD
  • Formats: Digital download, CD
 7
The Singer of Your Song
  • Released: 14 September 2014
  • Label: JMD
  • Formats: Digital download, CD
 —
Hold the Covers Back
  • Released: 3 November 2017
  • Label: JMD
  • Formats: Digital download, CD
 69
Cruising with Jane McDonald
  • Released: 22 June 2018
  • Label: Channel 5 Broadcasting
  • Formats: Digital download, CD
 6
Cruising with Jane McDonald: Volume Two
  • Released: 28 October 2020
  • Label: Channel 5 Broadcasting
  • Formats: Digital download, CD
 24
Let the Light In
  • Released: 20 August 2021
  • Label: JMD
  • Formats: Digital download, CD
 21
With All My Love
  • Released: 6 December 2024
  • Label: JMD
  • Formats: Digital download, CD
 21
Living the Dream
  • Released: 20 March 2026
  • Label: Jeanie
  • Formats: Digital download, CD
 TBA

Compilation albums

[edit]
Title Details
The Collection
  • Released: April 2003
  • Formats: Digital download, CD
Because You Loved Me
  • Released: August 2007
  • Formats: Digital download, CD
Just for You[C]
  • Released: October 2010
  • Formats: Digital download, CD
Is It Love You're After[D]
  • Released: March 2014
  • Formats: Digital download, CD
Remixed
  • Released: September 2014
  • Formats: Digital download, CD

Live albums

[edit]
Title Details Peak chart positions
UK
[11]
Live at the London Palladium[E]
  • Released: October 2010
  • Formats: Digital download, CD
 31

Extended plays

[edit]
Title Details
From Me to You (limited edition)
  • Released: September 2006
  • Formats: Digital download, CD

Singles

[edit]
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
UK
[11]
"Cruise into Christmas Medley" 1998 10 Non-album single
"You're My World" — Jane McDonald
"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" 2000 — Love at the Movies
"The Hand That Leads Me" 2001 — Inspiration
"Winner" —
"Doctors Orders" 2008 — Jane
"It's Getting Better" 2010 — Non-album single
"The Singer of Your Song" 2014 — Singer of Your Song
"Dance Yourself Dizzy (7th Heaven Mirrorball Radio Edit)"[29] 2016 — Non-album single
"You Still Lead Me" 2021 — Let the Light In
"The Hand That Leads Me (Acoustic)" —
"Let the Light In" —
"You're My World (Piano Sessions)" —
"Believe In Christmas Eve" 2023 —[F] Non-album single
"Don't Mind If I Do" 2026 — Living the Dream
"Living the Dream" —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

DVDs

[edit]
  • Jane McDonald in Concert (1999)
  • Jane McDonald Live in Las Vegas (2001)
  • Being Jane (filmed 2005)
  • The Very Best of Loose Women (2008)
  • Late Night with the Loose Women (2009)
  • Jane McDonald – Live at the London Palladium (18 October 2010)
  • Jane McDonald – A Live Christmas Concert Special (15 November 2019) (No. 2 in the DVD music charts)

Books

[edit]
  • Jane McDonald – Follow Your Dreams, autobiography (2000)
  • Jane McDonald – Riding the Waves: My Story, autobiography, Virgin Books (2019)
  • Jane McDonald – Let The Light In, Ebury Publishing (2024)

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Co-produced by Ted Carfrae and Jamel Badaoui.
  2. ^ Co-produced by David Sandcastle.
  3. ^ Four-track CD available from concerts.
  4. ^ Four-track CD available from concerts.
  5. ^ Live recording of the DVD.
  6. ^ "Believe In Christmas Eve" did not enter the UK Singles Chart Top 100, but peaked at number 41 on the UK Singles Downloads Chart.[30]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Jane McDonald - Living the Dream". Spotify. 20 March 2026. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  2. ^ "My Yorkshire: Jane McDonald". The Yorkshire Post. Yorkshire Post Newspapers. 22 December 2008. Archived from the original on 12 July 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  3. ^ "Jane McDonald: 7 facts about the cruise singer and TV presenter. She was famous on I'm a celebrity 2019". Smooth Radio. 29 March 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  4. ^ "My Yorkshire: Jane McDonald". Yorkshire Post. 23 December 2008. Archived from the original on 12 July 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  5. ^ a b Suffield, Alice (1 May 2022). "Jane McDonald on the reason she lived at home with her mum until she was 45". Wales Online. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  6. ^ a b Woodcock, Zara (13 January 2023). "Jane McDonald chokes up at mention of late partner Ed in emotional TV appearance". The Mirror. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  7. ^ a b Yeates, Cydney (12 January 2023). "Jane McDonald chokes up talking about late mum and partner on The One Show". Metro. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  8. ^ "Extract from BBC The Cruise docusoap". BBC. 31 January 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  9. ^ "Focus Music International".
  10. ^ "Jane McDonald Album".
  11. ^ a b c d "Jane McDonald". Official Charts. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  12. ^ "Introducing: Universal Music on Demand". 9 August 2016.
  13. ^ "Splash – Universal Music On Demand".
  14. ^ "'The time is right for me to step aside': Jane McDonald quits Loose Women after 10 years". Metro. 12 January 2014. Retrieved 12 January 2014.
  15. ^ "Wakefield Stars:- Jane McDonald, entertainer". Read the Plaque.
  16. ^ "Cruising With Jane McDonald – Winner's Acceptance Speech, Features, Virgin TV British Academy Television Awards in 2018". www.bafta.org. 13 May 2018.
  17. ^ Dosani, Rishma (28 February 2020). "Jane McDonald quits Cruising With Jane McDonald and our hearts are sinking". Metro. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  18. ^ Rackham, Annabel (1 June 2023). "Jane McDonald replaces Phillip Schofield as British Soap Awards host". BBC News. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  19. ^ "Jane McDonald - Believe In Christmas Eve". Spotify. 27 November 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  20. ^ "Official Singles Downloads Chart 1 December 2023 - 6 December 2023". Official Charts Company. 1 December 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  21. ^ "Jane McDonald announces new album Living The Dream, 2026 UK tour". Retro Pop Magazine. 17 November 2025. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  22. ^ "Jane McDonald - Don't Mind If I Do". Spotify. 13 March 2026. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  23. ^ "Thrilled to announce the release of Don't Mind If I Do, the debut single from Living The Dream, available to download". Instagram. 7 March 2026. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  24. ^ "BBC Programme Index". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. 10 July 1998. Archived from the original on 6 October 2016.
  25. ^ a b c Hunt, Amy (29 March 2019). "Jane McDonald reveals that her second husband left her in order to save her career: 'It wasn't my decision'". Woman magazine. Archived from the original on 25 May 2018.
  26. ^ Farquharson, Georgia (4 July 2020). "I s marriage still on the cards for Jane McDonald and Eddie Rothe?". Good to Know. Retrieved 6 March 2022. {{cite web}}: line feed character in |title= at position 2 (help)
  27. ^ Yeates, Cydney (7 April 2021). "Jane McDonald's partner Ed Rothe dies after lung cancer battle". Metro. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
  28. ^ Jones, Alan (29 June 2018). "Charts analysis: Greatest Showman set to surpass Adele's record-breaking run at top". Music Week. Intent Media. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  29. ^ "Jane McDonald – Dance Yourself Dizzy (7th Heaven Mirrorball Radio Edit) available digitally worldwide from iTunes, Amazon and all digital stores". YouTube. Jane McDonald Official YouTube Channel. 15 January 2016. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  30. ^ "Jane McDonald - Believe In Christmas Eve". Official Charts Company. 7 December 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jane_McDonald&oldid=1344999620"