Jane McDonald was forced to fight back the tears as she paid an emotional tribute to her 'hero'.
The beloved TV star was back on screens on Sunday (July 21) for an episode of Jane McDonald: Cruising The Med. For the instalment, Jane looked back at her best trips around the Med.
At one point, she stopped in at Naples in Italy, before heading over to the nearby island of Capri.
She told viewers: "This should be the end of my cruise, but over there is Capri, and I have just found out they do a trip to Capri.” And there was a reason Jane was so keen to make a detour.
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She explained: “I have always wanted to go to Capri to see Gracie Fields' house, really!"
She then met up with a super fan of her “hero” Gracie Fields. The fan, Seb, took Jane around the area and told her: “Gracie was responsible for putting Capri on the map, and her fame attracted many to the club and restaurants she built here.”
Jane and Seb then headed over to Gracie's grave. Seb said: "Gracie died in September 1979, and the waiters from her restaurant carried the coffin here, and that is where she is buried."
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Emotional, Jane gasped and said tearfully: "Awwww, oh. Oh, bless, bless her.” Appearing to fight back the tears, she added: “Gracie has been woven in and out of my life for quite some time."
The beloved TV star went on: "And to actually be here and pay my respects, I feel very close to her right now."
Gracie was one of the biggest stars in Britain in the 1930s, famous for her strong Lancashire accent. In September 1979, she sadly passed away at the age of 81.
Jane McDonald: Cruising the Med is available to watch on My5
