Born:
April 04, 1963
in
Wakefield
Best Known For:
Her star-making appearance on The Cruise and talking straight on Loose Women.
Early-life:
Born 4 April, 1963, in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. Her father, Peter, was a miner and chimney sweep, her mother, Jean, ran a boarding house. She has a brother, Tony, and a sister, Janet. She claims her first words were Down Town, which she learned from the Petula Clark song. By the age of three she was hooked on singing and dancing. At 18 she was doing three jobs to make ends meet, and was determined to make it in showbusiness.
Career:
She lived at home for many years, and until he died, her father worked as her road manager. McDonald spent years performing in small clubs across the country before getting a job as a cabaret singer on a cruise ship. At first, she claims it was a nightmare, but the move made her a star when the BBC filmed reality TV show The Cruise at her place of work. Her down-to-earth charm made her an instant celebrity. Since then, she's released hit records, had sell-out tours and written an autobiography.
Quote:
"To me, 20 fans are equally as important as 20,000 fans. When I look out, I don't see a sea of people but individual faces."
Trivia:
She was a regular on Loose Women from 2004, but quit after 10 years on the show to concentrate on her music career.