Jane McDonald gives update on dating and moving someone in after partner's death

Ex Loose Women star Jane McDonald said she doesn't know what she'd do without her new co-star and housemate, who moved in following her partner Ed Rothe's death in 2021.

Jane McDonald has revealed that she's not closed off to the idea of dating again after the death of her fiancé Ed Rothe, but it's not something she's actively seeking. The 61-year-old TV star experienced grief when her musician partner Ed died following a short-lived battle with lung cancer in 2021.

Since then, Jane has remained single and has been living with her best friend Sue Ravey, who also appears with her on Celebrity Gogglebox. Speaking about what the future might hold, Jane expressed that while she's open to new romantic possibilities, they would not get in the way of her current living situation with Sue.

She explained: "I'm not saying I'd never date again, but it's way down on my list of things that I want to do. I was very lucky, I had the most amazing relationship with Ed, and not many people get that in life. So, if I never have another date in my life, that's fine. If I do, that's also fine," reports the Express.

"I'm not shutting the door, but I have a great life without thinking I need a man in it," she added to Heat Magazine. Embracing her single status and the freedom it brings, she commented: "Singledom can be quite liberating."

The former Loose Women panellist, who is currently touring, praised her best friend for being like "a superwoman" after Ed's death and admitted she doesn't know what she would do without her.

They each have "their own sections" of Jane's house, which "works really well", and they come together in the kitchen to film their segments for Gogglebox.

Ed, formerly of The Searchers, had been battling cancer for "a few months" before his death, which came three years after the death of Jane's mother. The pair originally connected in their teenage years and later rekindled their romance in 2008 after a chance encounter at ITV studios.

At the time, Ed was on This Morning for an interview while Jane was a panellist on Loose Women. Prior to his death, the couple, who had been engaged for 12 years, were making plans to finally tie the knot.