ENTERTAINMENT
JANE McDONALD & FRIENDS Channel 5, 9pm
The leading lady in old-school variety entertainment, Jane McDonald now has a BAFTA to prove it.
Here she is, back for a new series of the all-singing, all-dancing show, complete with glitter ball and sparkly costumes. Tonight’s episode even has extra jazz hands, if that is at all possible, with a performance from the cast of West End musical Chicago.
Jane, who knows how to belt out a song, but is also quick-witted enough to do the odd comedy turn, is a bit like the Cilla of our time. You half expect her to tell us to expect a “lorra, lorra laughs”.
Instead, she duets with John Partridge, welcomes Rose Royce frontwoman Gwen Dickey and joins a Bhangra drumming band.
There are also some tearjerking stories of unsung heroes, all of whom are treated to... yes, you guessed it, a cruise. Well, she has connections...