The title “National Treasure” is one readily bandied about these days, but warm-hearted and witty Yorkshire lass Jane McDonald has to be one of the truest examples out there.
Jane’s story is a great example of a girl done good; first captured 25 years ago on BBC docusoap The Cruise, Jane became an overnight sensation – and has spent the years since forging a hugely successful career as a singer and TV personality.
Her solo shows have captivated audiences up and down the country, and now she’s back preparing to hit the road once more with an all-new tour With All My Love this autumn.
The new tour, Jane’s biggest to date, starts with two nights at Blackpool’s iconic Opera House, stops off at The London Palladium and will close with what promises to be an extra special tour finale at Leeds First Direct Arena.
“This is going to be the tour I’m most proud of – I can already feel it,” says a clearly excited Jane McDonald as she prepares for With All My Love.
The tour is still several months away, but already Jane is ‘buzzing, absolutely buzzing’ about the prospect of taking her show on the road once more.
“I feel like I’m a phoenix rising from the ashes in a way,” Jane says of her return to the road. “The flame had gone out, but the embers were still burning away in the background. Now they’re reignited and they are burning so brightly and so strong, I’m ready to come back.
“I am in a very good place. Something about being a bit older – I’ve got that ‘couldn’t care less’ thing now, I’ve let go of the angst that you get when you’re younger.
“Instead, now I just think ‘It’ll be right, it’ll be fine’, not worrying about every last thing. I’m excited about everything. The fear seems to have gone.
“I don’t think I have been this excited for a tour ever,” she adds, eyes glowing. “I have had a break and have a whole new energy for live performance and cannot wait to see my fans again as I’ve missed them.”
And the fans have clearly missed her too.
“Everybody is like ‘Thank God she’s back’… You never know if that will be the reaction though, do you?,” Jane laughs. “The reaction from fans has been humbling, so wonderful. I am just full of gratitude.”
Jane’s return to live performance will come three years after the death of her fiancé Ed Rothe in 2021. And despite her grief, Jane is seizing life and finding a new direction for her love – with this tour very much dedicated to her loyal fans.
“With age, I’ve learnt that nobody’s life is easy or wonderful all the time,” Jane said. “When you go through something tragic, it can take a while before you’re able to look up and see the blue skies again, for the joy to come back to life. But, when that joy does come back it’s even more precious than before. You start to feel good again and you want to share it.
“My fans have been through every part of my life for 25 years and I’m ready to say ‘I’m OK now, and I hope you are too’.
“It’s a two-way thing with my fans, we hold each other’s hands. I hold their hands and they hold mine.
“And you know what, I have a song I wrote for my mother ‘The Hand That Leads Me’ and thinking about it – it’s probably time now that I give that song to the fans. They are the ones that get me through, they make me sing and make me smile.
“Everything I do has love and my heart at the very centre of it, and I want this tour to say to my fans ‘Thank you for being around and waiting for me’.
“I’m in a good place so let’s have some fun.”
Jane is remaining tight-lipped about detailed preparations for the tour, other than hinting there are treats in store for fans, including new disco medleys – ‘I already know that’s going to tear the roof off’, emotional tributes and a show that is ‘more personal than ever’.
And for the first time, Jane will be playing piano during the live shows.
“The past couple of years, I’ve been so busy travelling to film the TV shows, I feel like I have been lost on plane journeys,” she said, “so it’s been nice to take the time to sit down, at home and look ahead to this tour.
“I’ve been sat at my piano, and I will be sitting down at the piano as part of the show too – which is something we haven’t done before. And I’m going to be talking about how I do it, how I go about writing, which is basically letting my fingers flow over the keys and then I’m off.
“It’s really very exciting to already see it take shape.”
Another first for With All My Love will see Jane touring with a major promoter’s backing, in the form of Live Nation’s Cuffe and Taylor.
“That is just fantastic,” she said. “My team goes back to 2009, and I’ve got to the stage where I have fantastic people by my side, and I’m in safe hands – those people will always be there.
“But this takes it to another level – and is probably why I’m enjoying myself so much already. I don’t have to even be thinking about the logistics side of things, never mind worrying about it like I have before.
“All that is taken care of, so I can just be ‘the artist’. It’s strange though, as I am still a bit of a control freak! No…make that perfectionist. But it’s lovely to have people with us making all the arrangements.
“Alongside the people who’ve been with me a long time, it’s now an absolute dream team.”
And hopefully Jane will be living the dream with her fans, sharing her ‘good place’, and bringing energy to venues across the country.
“The energy at my shows is always so special – it’s magical, honestly,” she said.
“It starts on the stage, and it goes out into the audience where it grows and it spreads, and it’s a whole circle because that energy comes back and we all feel it back again on stage. Open up your chakras, or whatever it is you believe in, and feel the energy in the room!
“But it’s so important to me in this job; if you can make somebody feel better through a performance, that’s brilliant, that’s the most important thing.
“With All My Love – I sound like a Beatle… You know, ‘All You Need Is Love’, but it’s true – it’s so important. I’m thankful to the fans for giving me their love, it has helped me through and hopefully now I can reciprocate and give it back…”
With All My Love is presented by Cuffe and Taylor. For more information and to purchase tickets go to www.cuffeandtaylor.com