Jane McDonald – who is Cruising into living rooms on Channel 5 this weekend (March 1) – now lives with a friend following the death of her fiancé.
The singer’s fiancé, Eddie Rothe, sadly passed away back in 2021 following a battle with lung cancer.
Jane McDonald and best pal Sue Ravey
Back in 2021, Jane McDonald was left devastated when her fiancé, Eddie, passed away. They had been together since 2008.
In 2023, Jane’s Celebrity Gogglebox co-star and best mate, Sue Ravey, moved in with her. The singer has since confessed that having her close friend living with her has helped her get through one of the hardest times in her life.
“It helped keep the grief at bay. I tend to grieve in private. But you can’t always be sure when it’s going to strike. Your emotions can ambush you,” she told OK! magazine, sharing the real reason she asked Sue to move in.
‘I do shed the occasional tear’
Jane went on to confess that Christmas is a difficult time of the year for her.
“I do shed the occasional tear and especially at new year. That’s when it hits me,” she said.
Jane then said that despite her grief, she refuses to be sad most of the time. She also added she believes that if Eddie and her late mum, Jean, are looking down on her, they wouldn’t want her to be consumed by sadness.
“I still talk to both of them in my head,” she said.
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‘Meat and two gravy girls’
Recently, Jane opened up further about her unconventional living arrangement with Sue. She revealed that, at the time of Eddie’s death, Sue split from her fiancé. So she was also nursing a heartbreak.
Speaking about Sue, and explaining that she helped Jane to curb her online shopping “vice”, the singer shared: “My close friend Sue moved in with me in 2022 after Ed died from lung cancer. She’d split from her fiancé. I was grieving and we were company for each other.
“We’ve known each other since our days performing in the working men’s clubs. She was also one of my backing singers for years. We rub along well, although it helps that we’re both tidy. Plus she puts the bins out!”
She also revealed that Sue is the ladies’ chef: “Sue’s the one with the pinny on most nights. She’s better at it — cheese on toast is my only speciality — and she enjoys it. Luckily we have similar tastes. We’re meat, two veg and gravy girls.”
Read more: Jane McDonald ‘got angry’ at Gary Barlow over his ‘cruise ship singer’ remark on The X Factor
Cruising with Jane McDonald airs on Channel 5 and My5 from 9.30am on March 1.
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