Former Loose Women star Jane McDonald prompted a chorus of boos against the Labour government’s controversial axing of the winter fuel payment for millions after she told how she was cold on stage at the London Palladium on Monday.
MailOnline can reveal that the 61-year-old singer was performing to a sold out crowd at the iconic 4000-seat venue, when she made the remark.
It prompted one audience member to heckle from the stalls, shouting: ‘They can’t afford to turn the heating on thanks to Labour’s winter fuels’.
The auditorium erupted into agreement, booing Sir Keir Starmer’s cancelling of the winter fuel payments worth up to £300 from all but the poorest of pensioners.
The 61-year-old singer was performing to a sold out crowd at the iconic 4000-seat venue, when she made the remark
A fan in the stalls told the Mail Online: ‘It seemed like the entire theatre booed the absolute hell out of the place. The booing was so loud and all-encompassing. Even Jane joined in.’
The former Loose Women presenter is said to have also remarked: ‘Don’t get me started’ during her With All My Love tour.
Another theatregoer said: ‘I have been going to Jane’s shows for twenty years, and I have never heard her utter one word about politics. But the look on her face suggested that she was not happy with what they are doing on winter fuels.’
The controversial cut for ten million pensioners was rushed through parliament last month, despite widespread condemnation from pensioner poverty groups.
The former Loose Women panelist prompted a chorus of boos against the Labour government’s controversial axing of the winter fuel payment for millions after she told how she was cold on stage at the London Palladium
The Bafta award-winning TV presenter, who hosts a string of travel shows on Channel 5, is currently touring the country on her highly acclaimed With All My Love tour.
One critic wrote on the Theatre Monkey website: ‘If those who claim to govern us were there, they would have heard the booing with disgust at their winter fuel policy. They would have seen (but not understood, nor cared) that everything – every scintilla – of true British character they and their tiny-minded vocal minority who dictate how we should act, count for nothing.’
Another audience member said: ‘As a Labour member I felt devastated at the booing. A dreadful own goal to make winter fuel our signature policy. All those people that have now turned on Labour when it didn’t need to happen.’
Jane first shot to fame in 1998 on the documentary series The Cruise and has since co-presented a number of daytime shows, including Loose Women and Star Treatment.
Jane McDonald is currently on a 20-date UK tour where she is singing old songs and new
She has recorded eight studio albums, as well as releasing several compilations and her debut self-titled album was a UK number one in 1998.
In 2023, Jane was back on the television with On Safari with Jane McDonald.
She is currently on a 20-date UK tour where she is singing old songs and new.
A spokesman for Jane declined to comment.
Last month, Jane appeared on Loose Women, ten years after her exit from the show, to discuss her new memoir Let the Light In where she candidly opened up about losing her partner of 13 years.
Last month, Jane appeared on Loose Women, ten years after her exit from the show
Jane’s partner Eddie Rother tragically died of lung cancer aged 67 during the height of the COVID pandemic in 2021, and despite finding the discussion upsetting, the star emphasised that she was grateful for the time she had had with him.
Jane explained that lockdown had allowed the pair to spend lots of time together because the presenter couldn’t rush off to work.
She revealed: ‘As daft as it sounds, I’m thankful it was during Covid because I was there with him. Nobody else was. But that was the hardest thing. I had no nurses or doctors come in. I had to learn how to do it all myself.
‘I had him at home as long as I could. Then I took him to the Wakefield Hospice, which is a beautiful place. I’ll be forever grateful to them. I was with him all the time there,’ she recalled.
Jane McDonald presented a British Soap Award in 2023
Jane said last year she was not worried about finding love again after losing her partner and insisted she didn’t need anyone new in her life now.
‘I’m not bothered. I’m really not. I don’t feel like I need someone in my life to make it fulfilled.’ she said.
‘We have a coping mechanism. I have a great group of girlfriends now, who are all in the same situation, we have a great time, we go out, we have dinner, drinks, parties round each others’ houses.
‘We’re all in the same boat and it’s lovely to know that there’s someone there that you can call at three o’clock in the morning and say, ‘I’m having a bad day.’ I don’t feel like I need anyone.’ she said.
