Jane McDonald — Movies, TV Shows & Roles

Actor

1963-04-04 · Wakefield, West Riding of Yorkshire, England · Female

21 series in the catalog

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 she has had five UK top 10 albums. Her eleventh studio album, Living the Dream, was released in March 2026.
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
Jane Ann McDonald was born in Wakefield on 4 April 1963. She spent most of her life living with her mother, Jean, whom she regarded as her best friend; they shared a bungalow in Wakefield until Jean's death when McDonald was 45 years old.
Career
After appearing on the series The Cruise in 1998, McDonald was signed by independent record label Focus Music International to make a covers album and a Christmas single. 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. She then signed a recording contract with Universal Music TV, 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.
In 2011, Wakefield Council awarded McDonald a star on its walk of fame.
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, making it the first win for a Channel 5 show.
McDonald was paid £500,000 a year to be a brand ambassador for Bob Bull's RoyaleLife.
On 1 June 2023, McDonald was announced as Phillip Schofield's replacement as the host of the British Soap Awards. 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.
On 17 November 2025, McDonald announced the release of her then-upcoming eleventh studio album, Living the Dream, and announced her 2026 UK Tour.
On 13 March 2026, McDonald released the single "Don't Mind If I Do" as the lead single from Living the Dream. Living the Dream was released on 20 March 2026, and debuted at number 10 on the UK Albums Chart, becoming her fifth UK Top 10 album; it also debuted at number one on the UK Independent Albums Chart.
Personal life
In 1998, McDonald married Danish ship plumbing engineer Henrik Brixen, who later became her manager. They divorced in 2003. Brixen later admitted that he did not understand the music industry.
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. They became engaged on 24 December 2008, but never married. Rothe died of lung cancer at the age of 67 on 26 March 2021.
DVDs
Jane McDonald in Concert (1999)
Jane McDonald Live in Las Vegas (2001) (available to view on YouTube)
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
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)
Official website
Profile at ITV.com