Eastern PROMISE

JANE MCDONALD on falling in love with the Land of the Rising Sun

- STEVEN PERKINS

JANE McDONALD: LOST IN JAPAN
FRI, 9PM, CHANNEL 5 TRAVELOGUE

As a former cruise-ship singer turned presenter of travelogues, Jane McDonald has been lucky enough to explore many wondrous places across the world. But now the popular Wakefield-born star is heading into uncharted territory as she pays her first visit to the Land of the Rising Sun for Channel 5 adventure Jane McDonald: Lost in Japan.

Here, in an exclusive interview, Jane, 60, who’s always a joy to chat to, tells us what’s on her itinerary in the four-part series…

What was your first impression of Japan?

It’s an amazing, crazy place, and I realised you don’t just go to Japan, you experience it! It’s off the scale compared to anywhere I’ve ever been – everything there is extreme.

Your first stop is Tokyo, Japan’s capital city, where you try sumo wrestling!

That was hilarious, and great fun! A lot of people take it very seriously, but you can have this experience where you get dressed up and try it, and then the sumo wrestlers cook for you.