Jane McDonald has revealed that four years after the death of her fiancé Ed Rothe, she’s still facing the heartache of grief but isn’t on the lookout for love at the moment
Jane McDonald has not given up on living since the death of her fiancé, Eddie ‘Ed’ Rothe, four years ago.
She exclusively tells the Mirror and OK! Magazine that although part of her will never process the loss of her fiancé, she’s not closed off to the idea of falling in love again. “I’ll never say never, because you just don’t know what’s around the corner, do you?” she says. “But if it never happens, then fine. I had a great partner who I feel very blessed that I had in my life. And I’m fine. I’ve got a great group of friends who I go out with and that’s enough, really.”
The Yorkshire-born singer and TV presenter first dated Eddie, drummer of Liverpool rock band The Searchers, as a teenager before they rekindled their relationship in 2008. But their love story was cut tragically short in 2021 when Eddie died aged 67 after a battle with lung cancer.
Jane copes with the “awful” grief by trying to fill her life with pockets of joy. She says, “I don’t deal with it. You can’t. There’s no such thing as dealing with it. It’s hard, it’s every day for me. But what I’ve learned to do now is fill my life with as much joy as I can bring in, to sit alongside it.
“I do that for him, as well. He would be mortified if I were just sat at home, miserable. He’d be the first to say, ‘What you doing sitting there? Get out there, Jane, do your thing.'”
Part of that joy comes from her career, and on her nerly announced album, Living The Dream, the title track of the same name is related to being on the road. “I fill my life with what I love to do,” she says.
“I’m grateful for my fans, for the love they give me.” Reflecting on losing Ed, she adds, “They never leave us, that’s in the song. I feel like you’re walking beside me. I’m still talking to you, that’s in How Can I Move On. Every day, I feel like you’re there.
“I totally believe that although a loved one who dies is not there in body, their spirit lives on. That gives me huge comfort to be able to move on and do other things.” Another thing Jane finds joy in is her friendship with Sue Ravey, a long-time pal since their early singing days, who now lives with her in Wakefield. The pair have entertained fans as armchair experts on Celebrity Gogglebox, as well as on travel show Cruising With Jane McDonald. In fact, asked to do the former, Jane gave the bosses an ultimatum.
She reveals: “When I was asked to do Gogglebox, I said, ‘Only if I can do it with my friend.’ And I’m really pleased we did – it showed Sue in all her glory. We do talk about literally everything. She’s a good egg, she makes me laugh, she’s totally bonkers and she tells it how it is. Sue’s a good friend.”
In recent years, one area of Jane’s career that has brought her huge satisfaction is becoming an icon in the LGBTQ+ community, even though she’s not entirely sure why it happened.
“Everybody is welcome at my shows. I just think, ‘Come and have a good time.’ I’m not judgmental in any shape or form and maybe that’s it. I’m also very ‘camp’, so I’ve been told. But this following that I have is hugely important to me. I’m thrilled to be honoured and accepted into the community.”
So much so that Jane will be headlining the Gay Icon slot at Mighty Hoopla festival next year. This will mark her first-ever festival performance on Sunday, May 31. She said: “Did somebody ask for a gay icon? Well, it’s me, I’m here, darlings. Yes, I’m going to be at the Mighty Hoopla in the Icon slot. Big band, big vocals, in fact, it’s going to be bloody lovely.
Another unexpected career high was when she went viral on TikTok last year for her brilliantly tongue-in-cheek cover of 2015 hit Cake By The Ocean BY DNCE, the American dance-rock band fronted by Joe Jonas, of the Jonas Brothers. So could she ever see herself performing with the famous siblings?
“Oh yes, I’ll do a duet with the Jonas Brothers, my God, count me in for that,” she says, laughing. “I have no idea why that worked. I’m very grateful. It’s been a long time coming, but I’m a TikToker now.”
And what of Loose Women, on which Jane appeared as a regular panellist from 2004 to 2014 before leaving to focus on her music career – could we see her back on the show?
“I haven’t got time,” she admits. But she lights up as she reminisces about her years on the famously lively panel. “It’s an era of my life that I’ll never forget. We were like Sex in the City at that point. I’m glad to have been there at that moment in time, but nowadays I’m either on a ship, in a studio or on a plane. I’m never in Wakefield.”
She’s certainly throwing herself into work, with the recording of her country-leaning 11th studio album taking place in Nashville. “Then Channel 5 found out I was doing it, so we’re making a two-part series about it as well,” she reveals. “It’s really taken on a life of its own.” The programme will air in 2026, and the Living The Dream album will be released next Spring.
Many fans were moved to tears during Jane’s last tour, and she says there will be more emotional moments when they hear the new album, especially the song she wrote – for the first time – with her late partner in mind.
“Beautiful Soul is… how I’m going to sing that, I don’t know. It’s about him not being here any more. I’m supposed to be able to move on but it’s taking me a bit longer,” she says, getting emotional. “It’s about how he can’t compare to the stars; he outshines them. It’s a very, very personal album. And I’ve finally been able to write about my love for Ed.”
Her 2026 tour will feature songs from the new album, as well as the many songs Jane’s fans already love. “I’ve got my dream singers now, and it’s a different league. The production is joyous,” she says. “Yes, it will be emotional, but the joy you’ll feel at the end will be incredible.”
To this end, she’ll be including her Disco Medley on the setlist. which she performed during Live at the Palladium in 2010. “There are still things everybody can sing along to,” she assures us. “There’ll still be some fan favourites in there.”
Jane is also returning to another lifelong passion – cruising, where her glittering career first began. She recently finished her own headline voyage, Cruise With Jane McDonald, visiting Norway and Denmark, and has already announced a second cruise for next October.
“People were up till three, four in the morning and then up for breakfast at eight. It was incredible,” she says, smiling. “It was just a joy. I can’t wait for next year to do it all again.”
That said, Jane has “no idea” how she’s going to slot everything in next year, explaining that her calendar is already so busy she can no longer accept any more work. “There’s a lot happening,” she tells us. “I can’t say any more than that for now, but watch this space, people!”
Jane’s album Living The Dream is available to pre-order now via jane-mcdonald.com, giving fans exclusive access to the tour pre-sale, which goes on general sale at 10am Friday November 28.
Source: Mirror
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