Jane McDonald

JANE McDonald is in a bubbly mood. Glowing with confidence, her every pore radiates with happiness, yet beneath that apparent contentment lies a sense of gratitude that keeps her head and feet firmly on the ground.

Forget the fame and fortune, the platinum albums and sell-out tours, Jane has given up everything to be where she is, including her marriage and she'll never feel truly at one with her celebrity status because of that.

"To be honest it's taken me eight years to grow into the artist I am," she admits.

"I felt very uncomfortable when I started and I constantly used to question myself, saying was I good enough? I was at the top of my profession when I was on the cruise ship singing. I had my own show and I was number one.

"When I left that circle to become a recording artist I felt out of my depth. Now it's a good feeling that I enjoy, but one I never take for granted."

It seems like only yesterday that the nation took Jane to their hearts after millions watched the former cabaret singer on the BBC 1 documentary series, The Cruise. Seven years on and Jane is now one of the country's most successful singers, regularly playing to sell-out audiences and selling thousands of albums.

"People say 'you are still here' and I think that's down to the fact I just keep my head down and keep walking," she reasons.

"To get a chance like I did, at the age I was does not happen often. That's why I have never got used to it. I lost my marriage because of it and have sacrificed a lot, but that was my choice. I cannot work unless I give 150 per cent.

"People think that when you get to that level you can ease off, but if anything you have to work three times as hard."

Nearly two years on from her much publicised divorce from husband Henrik and Jane feels like she has finally come to terms with the separation.

"When he first left I would have walked out of the business, no questions asked. I would have got my coat and said goodbye. He saved my career and said you will resent me for the rest of your life if you leave. I am so grateful to him for that. He made me grow up.

"I spoke to him just before Christmas for the first time in three years. It was good for me, almost like finally closing a chapter in my book," she admits.

Jane's route to stardom might have been more unconventional then most, but she insists it's still the best way to go if you're a young, budding pop star.

"You have to have stamina in this business and the years on the cruise ship taught me that. Don't listen to people like Simon Cowell. If you want to be a singer, working on a cruise ship is a great way to start that journey to be one. I know it's frowned upon, but I would not be here if I had not done that groundwork," she insists.

And what can Jane McDonald fans expect at the Guildhall in Portsmouth on Saturday night?

"A Diva, with fab frocks and songs about life. I have been through an awful lot and that comes through when I sing," she says smiling.

Jane McDonald performs at the Portsmouth Guildhall on Saturday, 7.30pm. Tickets from £18. Box office: 023 9282 4355.