Singer Jane McDonald has opened up about her tough year in a new video she posted to Instagram.
Promoting her new album, Let The Light In, Jane posted a nine-minute behind-the-scenes video of herself in the recording studio.
In it, she detailed her “shock” over the pandemic and also spoke of how music has helped her come to terms with her grief.
Jane’s fiancé Eddie Rothe died at the end of March after battling lung cancer.
She lost her mother Jean in December 2018 and said she never took the time to grieve, until now.
Jane McDonald on her ‘shock’ year
Speaking in the new video, Jane admitted the past year had been a “shock” to her.
She said: “This year has been a shock for a lot of people and it’s made us all stop.
“After I’d finally sorted my cupboards out, I dusted off my piano and sat and got inspired again to write and I haven’t had that for a while,” she admitted.
Read more: Jane McDonald makes her TV comeback following the death of her partner Eddie Rothe
Later in the video Jane spoke about her mother Jean.
At the time of her death, she tweeted: “A light in my heart has gone out for a short while.”
And she reflected on her song The Hand That Leads Me, which she wrote for her mum “20 or 25 years ago”.
What did Jane say about her mum?
Jane said: “It’s become such a fan favourite. I get so many people saying it’s been played at my wedding, it’s been played at my mum’s funeral.
“When my mother passed away, when I dusted the piano off I looked up and I’ve got a big picture of my mother looking down at the piano.
Read more: Jane McDonald thanks fans for their support following partner’s death
“I had no idea I’d done that. I just put it on the wall not realising it was over the piano. So when I started to play a little bit I’d look at my mum and I thought, you’re still leading me aren’t you.
“And I thought You Still Lead Me, so the song is a sequel to The Hand That Leads Me. And it helped me grieve, because I needed to,” Jane added.
How did Jane deal with her grief?
She continued: “I’ve been so busy since the passing of my mother that I haven’t had the quiet time to sit down and I tend to put everything into songs.
“And I think it helped me and I think it’ll help a lot of other people who are going through the same.”
In the wake of her fiancé’s death it’s perhaps even more poignant as Jane also revealed what the song is about.
“It’s all about love never dying, the fear you have of never seeing them again, and I hope people get a release when they hear it,” she said.
View this post on Instagram
Jane McDonald ‘will be back’
The singer, who is in the middle of her current tour, also paid tribute to her fans.
“I absolutely love my fans. And that love is reciprocated. And I’m very blessed to have them,” she said.
Hinting that more live music is to come from the singer, she added: “And I’ll be back.”
Head to our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and tell us if you’re a fan of Jane McDonald.