It has been announced that singer Jane McDonald will take over from Phillip Schofield as host of the British Soap Awards. The 60-year-old’s hiring comes following the recent controversy that has seen Phillip cease working for ITV.
A self-confessed soaps fan, Jane said of landing the role of host: “Oh my god…..everyone knows how much I LOVE my soaps, this year I’ve been honoured to be mentioned in Corrie, EastEnders and Emmerdale, so this is just a dream come true. I can’t wait to see all our wonderful soap nominees and celebrate all their hard work with them - roll on the awards, I can’t wait!”
The awards themselves take place on Tuesday, June 6 and will air on ITV1. The five biggest soaps - Coronation Street, Doctors, EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks - will be battling it out to win recognition for their work over the past year.
Read more: ITV announces Jane McDonald as replacement for Phillip Schofield
But how did host Jane become the recognisable face that she is today, who was she married to and what is her net worth? For more showbiz and television stories get our newsletter here.
How did Jane McDonald become famous?
Jane shot to fame after appearing as a singer on BBC series The Cruise in 1998. The same year she released her self-titled debut album, which topped the UK Album Charts - the first of eight studio albums.
Since then Jane has worked on a number of different shows - notably as a panellist on ITV’s Loose Women between 2004-2014. She famously hosted eight series of Channel 5 travel show Cruising with… Jane McDonald, which won the BAFTA Award for Best Feature in 2018.
Earlier this year Jane worked on another travel series, On Safari with Jane McDonald, for Channel 5.
Is Jane McDonald married?
Jane has been married twice. Her first marriage was to a man called Paul from 1986-87. She then married Danish manager Henrik Brixen in 1998 but was divorced by 2002.
The Sun reported that Jane became engaged to Eddie Rothe, a former drummer from ‘60s band The Searchers on Christmas Eve 2008. The pair first dated for a few months in 1980 when Jane was just 17, before getting back together in 2008.
Eddie sadly died after a battle with lung cancer in 2021. In a statement, Jane shared: “It is with immense sadness that we share the news that Jane’s beloved life 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 during this very difficult time, especially the NHS staff and the wonderful team at The Wakefield Hospice."
What is Jane McDonald’s net worth?
According to reports, Jane is believed to be worth around £4.5million. Watch her host the British Soap Awards on Tuesday, June 6 at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
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