RIDING THE WAVES – MY STORY

SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

‘Riding the Waves, My Story’, charts everything from her time on the BBC reality TV show ‘The Cruise’ and dream Caribbean wedding to navigating stormy waters when her dreams hit the rocks and she lost her confidence. Her life certainly hasn’t always been plain sailing but she’s back on the crest of a wave to share her incredible and uplifting story with you.

BIOGRAPHY

Sailing to Stardom

Jane McDonald is a popular singer, TV presenter and performer. She is best known for her powerful vocals and down to earth personality. In 1998 she rocketed to stardom when she first appeared on our screens in the BBC 1 docusoap The Cruise. The series attracted 13 million viewers and Jane emerged as a star and household name.

Her first album outsold her nearest rivals by four to one and gained Jane a place in the Guinness Book Of Records. It remained at Number One for three weeks and achieved platinum status staying in the Top 10 for 8 weeks.

Each of Jane’s subsequent 4 major albums have all reached gold and silver status. 2009 saw the first album release under her own label. Simply titled Jane, it entered the Official UK Album Chart at Number 7 and achieved silver status within 6 weeks.

On Stage…

Jane has built up a phenomenal theatre audience performing incredible live concerts, selling out and has sold out the Royal Albert Hall and the London Palladium twice.

Performing at the MGM grand in Las Vegas she played to a sold out audience. The concert was filmed for DVD and went on to become an instant hit in the charts. The Mayor of Las Vegas also presented Jane with the Key To the City.

In 2015 she performed the coveted role of Grizabella in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s CATS at Blackpool Opera House for which she received rave reviews.

…And Screen

As a regular panellist on the hit daytime show Loose Women and a regular guest on The Alan Titchmarch Show her popularity grew.

Other TV highlights included Never Mind The Buzzcocks, This Morning, GMTV and The Jonathan Ross Show.

2017 also saw the launch of Jane McDonald and Friends on Channel 5, bringing Jane’s exceptional talent as a live music performer to TV screens.

Each episode Jane welcomes performances from guests such as Tony Hadley, Lee Mead, Elkie Brooks, Shayne Ward and Gilbert O’Sullivan. She also takes to the stage herself for solo performances and duets with some of her guests. There are also surprises for the audience providing laughter and the occasional tear.

Making Music

Jane puts her heart and soul into her music. Working alongside her Musical Director she produces her own albums on her own label and was the executive producer on her CD/DVD, Live at the London Palladium.

In 2016 she embarked on her Making Memories tour which sold out at venues all over the UK. It was so popular she continued touring the show throughout 2017.

Hold the covers back, her first entirely self penned album, was released in November 2017 to rave reviews. The album includes many fan favourites and includes a duet with Tony Hadley.

A BAFTA Winning Performance

Jane returned to the cruise ships in 2017, this time with her own TV travel show Cruising with Jane McDonald, which is shown on Channel 5.

The show was so successful that in 2018 she won her first BAFTA for Best Feature, making it the first win for a Channel 5 show.

The show continued in popularity throughout the seven seasons, a 2018 Christmas Special and a further season in 2020.

An album of songs from Cruising with Jane McDonald was released in June 2018 going straight to number one in the independent album charts.

Celebrating 20 Years

In 2018 Jane returned to touring with her sold-out Celebrate 20 tour celebrating twenty years in the spotlight. 

She ended the year on a high with a spectacular Christmas show at the First Direct Arena in Leeds on 15th December 2018. The show was filmed live and released on DVD.

In 2019 she completed another successful UK wide tour and took her Christmas show back to The First Direct Arena in Leeds. Due to popular demand she also added an extra date at Arena Birmingham.

Jane’s autobiography Riding the Waves – My Story was also released in 2019 to rave reviews. In the book Jane shares her incredible and uplifting story in her own words.

A Right Royal Performance

Jane’s new travelogue show, Holidaying with Jane McDonald, premiered in early 2020 and featured Jane traveling the globe and showcasing a variety of different holidays.

Later that same year Jane McDonalds Weekends Away also premiered, featuring European breaks.

Jane was invited to sing at the Royal Variety Performance in December 2021. She performed with soprano singer Carly Paoli.

In another royal performance Jane headlined the Platinum Jubilee Concert at Scarborough Open Air Theatre in June 2022 in honour of the Her Majesty The Queen.

Letting the Light In

In early 2021 Jane recorded her latest album, Let The Light In. She wrote the material for the new album during early 2020.

Jane returned to touring in summer 2021 with her Let The Light In tour. The tour was so popular she extended it into 2022, continuing to perform to sold out venues.

In 2023 she took a break from touring to concentrate on new TV projects. She has continued to make new travel shows, and was also delighted to be asked to present the 2023 Soap Awards for ITV. She is also appearing on Celebrity Goggle box, along with her best friend Sue.

In 2024 Jane will be kicking off the new year with her latest travel series ”The Canary Islands With Jane McDonald” which starts on January 5th at 9pm on Channel 5.

You can find more information about her current TV work on her blog and TV page.