Jane McDonald is a household name. Since staring on the BBC One documentary series, The Cruise, the 58-year old has regularly appeared on Loose Women, and has hosted shows of her own, including Holidaying with Jane McDonald, which screens on Channel 5 on Sunday night.
But despite her success, the proud Yorkshirewoman recently revealed during an interview on BBC Radio 4 she lived at home with her mum until she was 45. She said: “I wasn’t an only child. I still have a brother and sister. But I was the one who stayed at home until she was 45.”
She then explained that because she was working away so much, she always used her family home as a base: “I was out working all the time and I was able to pay for the bills and I had my mother at home looking after me. My brother and sister got married and they have been in great relationships all of their lives. For me, it just didn’t happen that way. I’m just slightly different to the two of them, which is not a bad thing.”
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After Jane's success on The Cruise, she had two of her own specials broadcast in the same year – The Cruise Special: Jane Ties The Knot, which featured Jane's marriage to partner Henrik on the Caribbean island of St Thomas, and Jane’s Cruise To The Stars, where jane talked of her astonishing rise to fame. You can get the latest showbiz news here.
Jane has not had the easiest couple of years. In 2021, her long-term partner, Ed Rothe, died following a short battle with lung cancer. An announcement on Twitter read: "It is with immense sadness that we share the news that Jane’s beloved long term partner, Ed, passed away on Friday 26th March. He had been battling lung cancer for the last few months. We would like to thank everyone for all their help and support"
Speaking of her partner's passing in 2022, Jane told The Mirror: “If we know anything about what has happened in this past year, it’s that life is too short. This has taught me that life is for living and I will live it even more when we are allowed out again.”
Since Ed's death, Jane has remained single. She was married previously to Henrik Brixen, whom she divorced in 2003. Before Brixen, she was married to Paul, who has remained out of the public eye.
Recently, Jane has gone back to home county of Yorkshire, where she filmed a new TV series for Channel 5. The show, Jane McDonald’s Yorkshire, was met by rave reviews from fans. The series saw Jane exploring the very best that Yorkshire had to offer, from small country villages to huge bustling cities. Her most recent show, Holidaying With Jane McDonald, is on Channel 5 at the moment. The show follows Jane around the Caribbean.
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