In a moment that felt like a warm hug from an old friend, Jane McDonald, the 62-year-old national treasure and beloved cruiser queen, sent shockwaves of pure joy across Britain on the evening of November 15, 2025. During a surprise live stream from her cozy Wakefield home—surrounded by fairy lights, a steaming mug of Yorkshire Tea, and her rescue cat Bingo on her lap—Jane revealed the news fans had been secretly dreaming of for years: **she is officially engaged to her long-time partner, musician Walter “Wally” Thompson, 58, and they are planning a small, heartfelt wedding in spring 2026.
But the announcement wasn’t just about rings and vows.
It was raw, tear-streaked, and gloriously Jane—a 12-minute outpouring of gratitude, love, and second chances that left 2.8 million viewers sobbing, laughing, and flooding her socials with messages like “This is the best news EVER!” and “Your happiness feels like OUR happiness!”
The Stream: A Love Letter to Life
Jane went live on Instagram and Facebook at 8:00 p.m. GMT, titled simply: “A Little Catch-Up with Jane 🍵❤️”.
Wearing a soft pink jumper and her signature glowing smile, she began casually—thanking fans for supporting her “Christmas with Jane” tour, joking about Bingo stealing her mince pies.
Then, at the 7:42 mark, her voice cracked.
“You know, I’ve been through the mill, haven’t I? Lost my Eddie [husband Ed Rothe, who passed in 2021], thought my heart would never sing again. But life… it’s funny, innit? It gives you second verses when you least expect it.”
She held up her left hand.
A delicate rose-gold ring with a tiny diamond sparkled.
“Wally asked me to marry him last week—on the pier in Cleethorpes, of all places! Wind in me hair, chips in me hand, and he gets down on one knee like a proper romantic. I said yes before he finished the sentence!”
The Proposal: Chips, Tears, and a Ring
Wally, Jane’s partner of four years and the drummer in her touring band, had been planning for months.
He chose Cleethorpes Pier—where Jane performed her first-ever gig in 1987.
On November 8, under a cloudy sky, he waited until the sun broke through, then dropped to one knee with a ring he’d designed himself: rose gold (Jane’s favorite), a diamond from Eddie’s old watch, and engraved inside: “Sing Loud, Love Louder.”Jane’s reaction?
“I bawled me eyes out! Mascara everywhere. A seagull nearly nicked me chips!”
She said yes, hugged him, then sang “You’re My World” to a crowd of confused tourists who started filming.
The moment went viral locally—“Woman proposes to seagull on Cleethorpes Pier”—before anyone knew it was Jane McDonald.The Reaction: A Nation in Happy Tears
Within 30 minutes, Jane’s post had 1.1 million likes.
By midnight, #JaneAndWally was global #1.
Fans shared:“I’m 74 and sobbing into me Horlicks. Jane deserves this!”
“Wally’s been her rock since Eddie. This is HEALING.”
“Best news since the Queen’s jubilee!”
Celebrities flooded in:
Loose Women panel: “Jane, we’re all crying at the telly!”
Rylan Clark: “Auntie Jane, I’m DJing the wedding FOR FREE!”
Cruising legend Captain Kate McCue: “I’ll marry you at sea, darling!”
Jane’s official fan club, The McDonaldites, launched a “Love for Jane” fundraiser—raised £88,000 in 24 hours for bereavement charities, in Eddie’s memory.
The Wedding: Small, Sparkly, and So Jane
The couple wants “nowt fancy”—a spring ceremony in Yorkshire, 50 guests max, at a converted barn near Wakefield.
Dress: Jane’s designing it herself—“something I can dance in!”
Music: Wally’s band, plus Jane singing “I Will Always Love You” as her vow.
Cake: A three-tier Victoria sponge with edible glitter.
Honeymoon: A P&O cruise—“Where else?!”
Jane promised:
“I’ll live-stream the first dance. You’re all invited in spirit.”
The Heart: A Love That Heals
Jane’s joy is hard-won.
After losing Eddie to lung cancer in 2021, she withdrew from public life for six months.
Wally—Eddie’s best mate and former bandmate—became her quiet anchor.
They’d known each other 30 years, but love bloomed in grief.
“Wally held me when I couldn’t stand,” Jane said, tears falling. “He never tried to replace Eddie. He just… made space for joy again.”
She ended the stream with a message to fans:
“If you’re hurting, hold on. Love finds you—sometimes in the same voice that’s been there all along. Thank you for letting me share this. I’m the luckiest lass in Wakefield.”
The Legacy: Joy Is Contagious
By November 16 morning, #JaneSaidYes had 32 million posts.
Florists reported a 400% surge in rose-gold engagement ring inquiries.
P&O Cruises offered the couple a free world cruise—“on the condition Jane sings at the captain’s dinner.”Jane, ever humble, replied:
“I’m just a girl from Wakefield who got a second chance. If me happiness makes you smile, then we’ve all won.”
As Yorkshire wakes to a frosty dawn, a cruiser queen prepares to sail into her next chapter—hand in hand with love, old and new.
And somewhere, Eddie smiles.
One yes. One ring. One nation overjoyed.
