Is there anyone nicer than Jane McDonald? During our interview the down-to-earth Yorkshire lass just exudes warmth. She admits she wants to live in a bubble where ‘everything is lovely’ and has spent years batting off the naysayers and critics.

Jane, who was discovered on the 1998 reality show The Cruise, is bringing her brand new live show to Lighthouse, Poole, later this month.

And while she is 100 per cent Wakefield, she has more than a soft spot for Dorset.

“I’ve been coming down to that part of the world for a while,” she tells Seven Days.

“I did a summer season in Bournemouth a few years back and I lived in Poole during that time. I had a flat there and just fell in love with the place.”

Why? “Ooh it’s like the Riviera. The weather was stunning and the people were lovely. SO lovely...

“I had an apartment on the seafront in Poole and it was the last year my grandmother was alive. She would sit and look out at the sea, and at people walking along on holiday.

“It brought her so much joy. I have SUCH happy memories of those days spent in Poole.”

The 51-year-old is excited to be coming back, but the Lighthouse is a venue she has never played before.

Her tour is named after her latest album The Singer of Your Song, and she’s keen for people to rethink their perceptions of her.

“People think ‘oh ’er, it’s the cruise ship singer’ but it’s not like that.

“My show is WILD. It’s glamorous, the outfits are unbelievably beautiful. It’s a fantastic stage set and light show. I have the best musicians and backing singers.”

Jane promises audiences all the big standards such as Love is All and You’re My World and tells people to expect an emotional rollercoaster.

“Some of the lyrics are heart rending and I give people permission to let go. You’re allowed to have a good cry.

“Then, it’s a case of ‘Now, let’s have a good disco medley.’”

Jane has a huge and diverse fan base which she is grateful for.

“I say to them ‘I need you as much as you need me’.

“Ooh, there are all sorts. There are lots my age group of 50 plus, as well as a younger audience aged 14-21.

“I see the same three rows wherever I go. I’ve seen them grow up and go through marriages and losses.”

It’s these loyal fans to whom she has dedicated the recent album and tour.

“The album is the best I have ever done and I am so proud of it,” she says simply.

“I have my own label so there’s no-one telling me what to do. Every song has touched me in some way.

It was produced by Nigel Wright who has also worked with Barbara Streisand.

“He is one of the top producers in the world and I feel I have learned from the master.”

The recently-released deluxe edition of The Singer of Your Song has four bonus tracks, including the acoustic version of Jane’s new track I’ll Be There. “I have had more letters about this song than at any other time in my career,” she explains.

“I do a lot of work with hospices and this could be their anthem. I have also realised that many people are alone in the world. They go home to empty houses.

“When you get to a certain age you appreciate the people around you and I do feel lucky and blessed.”

And she looks pretty good, too. What is her secret?

“I have a great colourist!” she laughs.

“Actually, I put it down to happiness and contentment which shine out from within.

“I do look after myself and laughter is the best medicine. There’s lots of comedy in my show.”

Perhaps her current glow is also down to her fiance, Eddie Rothe, whom she fdated when she was 18 and he was in the band Liquid Gold.

“I first met him when I was working as a barmaid in a pub he was playing at. I think the red leather shorts came in handy.

“We went out for a year and a half but he was rock’n’roll and I didn’t want to hold him back, so we split up.”

In 1998 Jane married Danish-born engineer Henrik Brixen whom she met on the cruise ship, but the marriage lasted five years.

“My life has been full of ups and downs,” says Jane. “Yes I had a dodgy marriage with Henrik but it was circumstance, not personal.

“My mantra is to leave things with a good heart. I won’t hear a word said against him.”

Jane bumped into old love Eddie on the set of Loose Women, which she was a part of for 10 years.

“The flame was instantly re-ignited and it was obviously meant to be.”

Jane left Loose Women to concentrate on her singing career. “I thought I’d have loads of time but now fill it with, well, stuff!

“I’m now doing things that feed my soul. I’m writing, producing, creating and performing.

“I’m happy and fulfilled and definitely count my blessings every day.

“I’ve got my work-life balance absolutely right. But it has taken me a long, long while to get there.”

  • Jane McDonald is at Lighthouse, Poole, on Thursday September 25