While we still love ‘Loose Women’, there’s no denying that something has been missing over the last few years - namely a fabulous woman from Wakefield who goes by the name of Jane McDonald.
Thankfully, she’s recently made a return to our screens in her own Channel 5 documentary, ‘Cruising With Jane McDonald’, which has reminded us of what a larger than life character she is.
And by larger than life, we mean camp. Ridiculously camp.
Let’s look at the evidence...
1. THE WAVE
2. She lives with her mother, who she refers to as Queen Jean
3. Her version of Wham’s ‘Club Tropicana’ makes us want to sip on Woo Woos with her by the pool
4. She loves nothing more than a good innuendo
5. Seriously, she could give Mel and Sue a run for their money
6. She is hates it when she can’t be glamorous
7. Well, why wouldn’t she want to dress up, when this is the calibre of her stage attire?
8. She gives SOLID fashion advice to others too
9. She’s also the only person we know who still shops in catalogues
10. She really, REALLY loves cruising
11. We look back with great fondness at the times when she was allowed to sing on ‘Loose Women’
12. Jane Moore, Kaye Adams and co. could never
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ITV
13. This is her attitude to rumpy-pumpy
“Getting old is sad and I hate it. Ed said to me the other day, ‘Come upstairs and make love to me’. 'At my age!' I told him, 'Pick one, because I can’t do both’.”
- Jane McDonald
14. That said, there’s a lot of life left in those hips yet
15. We now know she’s got a very weak gag reflex
16. Only the best goose down will do for our Jane
17. Remember the time she posed with drag queens at G-A-Y (and fitted right in)?
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Rex/Shutterstock
18. She covered ‘Dance Yourself Dizzy’, and somehow made it even more ridiculous than the original
19. She dances like your mum after a few wines at a wedding
20. Only Jane would sing a whole rendition of ‘Amazing Grace’ while sailing through a cave because of its ‘good acoustics’
21. Even if she retreated from the spotlight, she would still be living her best life
“I hope people love my new album, but, at the end of the day, if it doesn't work out I could just go back home to Yorkshire and get a job on the tills at Marks & Spencer.”
- Jane McDonald
22. She’s a proper pro at WEERRRKing it
23. She knows how to make an entrance
24. She’s so iconic, she was even parodied by the late, great Victoria Wood
25. She is the only person bar Pat Butcher who could get away with wearing a leopard print mac
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Neil Mockford via Getty Images
26. BUT SERIOUSLY, DID WE MENTION THE WAVE?
12 Stars You'd Forgotten Were 'Loose Women'
Karren Brady(01 of12)
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Long before she was answering to Lord Sugar, The Apprentice star Karren was letting loose on the ITV daytime show.
She was one of the original line-up of ladies, appearing on the first episode in 1999.
And while her stint was short-lived, ending just a year later, Karren returned to the panel for an anniversary special in 2017, along with the rest of the women who appeared on that very first show. (credit:REX)
Kerry Katona(02 of12)
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Back when she was Kerry McFadden (those were the days, eh?), the Atomic Kitten singer appeared as a panelist between 2003 and 2004.
She was only 23 when she joined the show, making her the youngest Loose Woman regular ever, and her sometimes naive outlook on life meant she often clashed with Sherrie Hewson, providing many hilarious moments. (credit:REX)
Nina Wadia(03 of12)
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She's best known for playing the opinionated Zainab Masood in EastEnders, but Nina offered up plenty of opinions of her own when she appeared as a series regular between 2005 and 2006. (credit:REX)
Gillian Taylforth(04 of12)
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Another EastEnder who graced the Loose Women panel was Gillian Taylforth – better known as Walford's Kathy Beale.
The actress enjoyed two stints as a Loose lady, first in 2006 and again in 2008. (credit:REX)
Cilla Black(05 of12)
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While the late Cilla will be remembered for her huge TV hits Blind Date and Surprise Surprise, her last regular TV gig was actually as a Loose Woman.
She appeared first as a guest anchor in 2009 and was invited back as a regular panelist between 2010 and 2011, returning for a final appearance in 2014. (credit:REX)
Sarah Millican(06 of12)
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In our humble opinion, Sarah's tenure as a Loose Woman was simply not long enough.
The comic only appeared as a panelist for less than a year in 2011, before leaving to concentrate on her stand-up career. (credit:REX)
Beverley Callard(07 of12)
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During one of her many breaks from Coronation Street, Beverley (aka Liz McDonald) took up a seat behind the famous desk in 2010. (credit:REX)
Kym Marsh(08 of12)
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While Kym has recently enjoyed a few turns as a guest panellist, many have forgotten her original stint as a regular on the show in 2005, back when she sported an interesting (if that's the right word?) set of hair extensions. (credit:REX)
Claire Sweeney(09 of12)
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The former Brookside actress enjoyed over two years on the panel back in 2003, and later returned for six episodes in 2010, and a further two in 2012. (credit:REX)
Sheree Murphy(10 of12)
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Sheree was a welcome addition to the panel in 2006, after she finished playing Emmerdale's much-loved Tricia Dingle. While she left in 2007, she later returned as a guest panellist for an episode in 2015. (credit:REX)
Claire Richards(11 of12)
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After the departure of many of Loose Women's biggest names in 2013 and 2014, Steps singer Claire made a string of guest appearances. She impressed bosses so much, she was soon promoted to a regular.
However, a massive revamp of the show in the September of 2014 saw her leave the show with no explanation. (credit:REX)
Jenny Powell(12 of12)
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The Wheel Of Fortune assistant was finally given a break from turning around letters on a board in 2004, when she joined the Loose Women panel for a year. (credit:ITV)