Singer and presenter Jane McDonald, who is perhaps best known for her programmes Cruising with Jane McDonald and Jane McDonald’s Weekends Away, has shared the reason she never had children. Jane, now 62, split from her first husband, Henrik Brixen, in the early 2000s, and the TV star has explained why they didn’t have kids in her 2019 autobiography, Riding the Waves.
In a heartbreaking passage in the book, she said: “Henrik and I once talked about having children, but there wasn't room for babies in his plans for me. I began to feel lonely in my marriage." The pair met when they were young, working together on a cruise ship, before Jane found fame. Henrick was a plumbing engineer as their romance blossomed before going on to become Jane’s manager in 1998 when they tied the knot.
"Your manager is your boss and tells you what to do, what to wear and who to be, so our relationship changed," Jane wrote in the book.
"I loved him with all my heart, but felt he'd stopped looking at me as a wife. I became a product."
The former Loose Women star said she "lost confidence and became introverted", which was one of the reasons she eventually fired Henrick.
She’s previously revealed that her marriage ended so her career in the spotlight could be saved.
Years after her break-up, Jane reunited with her teenage sweetheart, Eddie Rothe, in 2008. The lovers were engaged, but she never walked down the aisle.
He tragically passed away following a battle with lung cancer in 2021, which understandably left Jane heartbroken.
Sharing a tribute at the time on social media, she said: “I want to thank everyone most sincerely for the wonderful cards and messages of support that I have received since the awful news was announced that I had lost my beloved Ed.
"I'm so touched by each and every one. All the kind thoughts and words have meant so much to me and many of you have let me know that you are going through the same thing as me, having lost loved ones and I wish you all love and strength back.
"I'm hugely grateful for everyone who very kindly donated to the Just Giving page for Wakefield Hospice in Ed's memory. It's been a tough time for us all recently, and I know that better days are ahead."
Jane McDonald's Nashville Adventure starts tonight on Channel 5 at 9pm.
