After enduring the most painful chapter of her life, Jane McDonald has opened up about the moment she realised she could no longer stay in the house she once believed would be her sanctuary forever.
The beloved singer and television presenter, now 62, suffered two devastating losses in just three years — first her mother, Jean, who died days before Christmas in 2018, and then her long-term fiancé Eddie Rothe, who passed away aged 67 in March 2021 following a battle with lung cancer.
For more than two decades, Jane lived in her five-bedroom Wakefield bungalow, Cleevethorpe House — a £1million property she lovingly renovated and once imagined would be her “forever home.” But last year, she made the heartbreaking decision to sell it.
“There was just too much history”
In a rare and deeply emotional interview, Jane admitted the home that once brought her comfort had become impossible to live in.
“I found it difficult,” she said honestly. “There was just too much history there.”
The grief attached to the walls, the rooms and the memories became overwhelming. After Eddie’s death, the house no longer felt like a place of safety — instead, it was a constant reminder of everything she had lost.
Jane and Eddie’s love story stretched back decades. The pair first dated in the 1980s when Jane was just 17, before reconnecting in 2008 and later becoming engaged. His death, coming so soon after the loss of her mother, left Jane reeling.
Downsizing — and finding peace again
Since selling the property, the Yorkshire-born star has downsized to a smaller home nearby and also bought a coastal retreat where she now spends much of her time.
“We all need peace in our lives,” she explained. “And I’ve got that now.”
She now shares her home with her lifelong friend Sue Ravey, whom she met in her twenties while singing. The pair later appeared together on Celebrity Gogglebox, and after Eddie’s death, Sue moved in to support Jane — a bond that has only grown stronger.
“She’s still my bezzie mate,” Jane said warmly. “We do everything together. It just works.”
Letting go — emotionally and physically
Parting with the family home was no small task. Jane admitted she was stunned by how much she had accumulated over the years.
“You’d be surprised how much stuff you collect — seven skips later!” she laughed. “Sue is brilliant. She’ll say, ‘Why are you keeping that?’ Take a picture and bin it.”
Christmas, once a huge family gathering hosted at the house, has also changed. This year, Jane spent the day with friends instead — no cooking, no pressure, just new traditions.
“Times change and you have to change with them,” she reflected. “Grief hits everyone eventually. You can’t go back — so I’m moving forward.”
Grief’s unexpected gift: freedom
Despite the heartbreak, Jane says grief has brought her an unexpected sense of freedom.
“There’s a positive side to it,” she admitted. “I can choose what I want to do, when I want to do it. It took time, but now I’m embracing it.”
That outlook has carried into her work, including her new Channel 5 travel series Jane McDonald: Pole to Pole, which sees her journey from Antarctica to the Arctic.
“It was terrifying at times,” she laughed, recalling a kayak trip that ended in a dramatic rescue when the weather suddenly turned. “I thought, have I wandered into a James Bond film?”
“I don’t care anymore — and that’s the beauty of getting older”
Perhaps the biggest change is Jane’s relationship with herself. She says she has finally stopped worrying about what others think.
“The beauty of getting older is you care less,” she said candidly. “I’ve got love handles, a tummy, saggy bits — and I don’t care. I’ve never had cosmetic work. Just good make-up.”
Looking ahead to 2026, Jane is preparing to tour with her new show Living the Dream and perform at London’s Mighty Hoopla festival in the coveted “Gay Icon” slot — a moment she says leaves her “deeply humbled.”
“Life is short,” she added. “It’s not a dress rehearsal. As long as you’re fit and well, you’ve got to go for it.”
Jane McDonald’s Pole to Pole airs tonight at 9pm on Channel 5. Her album Living The Dream is available to pre-order, with tour tickets on sale now.
