Jane McDonald has built a career on warmth, humour and heart — but behind her glittering TV success lies a deeply personal story of love, loss and learning to live again.

The Channel 5 favourite, 62, was engaged to musician Eddie Rothe for 12 years before his tragic death from lung cancer in 2021. This month marks five years since Eddie passed away at the age of 67, leaving Jane to navigate life without the man she once described as her great love.

Jane and Eddie’s story stretched across decades. The pair first met when Jane was just 17, dating briefly before going their separate ways. Years later, fate brought them back together, and they rekindled their romance before getting engaged in 2008.

But in 2020, Eddie was diagnosed with lung cancer. He died on March 26, 2021, a loss Jane has spoken about with raw honesty.

The former Loose Women star previously admitted that grief “stays with you all the time,” and although the pain has never fully disappeared, she has slowly found a way to move forward.

Speaking about whether she could ever find love again, Jane said she would “never say never.”

“You just don’t know what’s around the corner,” she explained. “But if it never happens, then fine. I had a great partner who I feel very blessed that I had in my life.”

For now, Jane says she is content with the love and support of her close friends. “I’ve got a great group of friends who I go out with and that’s enough, really,” she shared.

In recent months, Jane has also made a major life change by selling her £1 million home — a property once meant to be her forever home with Eddie. She admitted the decision was difficult because of the memories attached to it, but she has since downsized and now lives with her close friend Sue Ravey, who appeared with her on Celebrity Gogglebox.

Reflecting on this new chapter, Jane said grief has unexpectedly brought a sense of freedom.

“There is a positive side to grief, which is freedom,” she said. “I can now choose to do what I want, when I want. It was hard for me to adjust to that, but now I’m embracing it.”

And embrace it she has.

Jane is heading into another exciting career chapter, with her new two-part Channel 5 series Jane McDonald’s Nashville set to air in 2026. The show will see her explore the heart of country music, from the Bluebird Café and the Grand Ole Opry to the Jack Daniel’s Distillery and Nashville’s famous Southern food scene.

Five years after losing Eddie, Jane’s life looks very different from the one she once imagined. But with courage, friendship and a renewed sense of independence, she is proving that love can remain part of your story — even as you begin writing a new chapter.