The musician passed away after battling lung cancer for several months.

Former Loose Women star Jane McDonald has paid tribute to her long term partner, Eddie Rothe following his death from lung cancer. Rothe, a musician best-known for performing with the band The Searchers, passed away at the end of March. His funeral took place yesterday. The former Loose Women presenter and singer shared a photo of herself with Eddie on Twitter, announcing his death. McDonald also extended her gratitude to the healthcare workers who provided care for her partner over the last few months. Additionally, she asked fans to respect her and her family's privacy during this time. The statement reads: "It is with immense sadness that we share the news that Jane's beloved long term partner, Ed, passed away on Friday 26th March. He had been battling lung cancer for the last few months. "We would like to thank everyone for their help and support during this very difficult time, especially the NHS staff and the wonderful team at the Wakefield Hospice." https://twitter.com/TheJaneMcDonald/status/1379831932486352899?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1379831932486352899%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rte.ie%2Fentertainment%2F2021%2F0407%2F1208501-former-loose-women-star-jane-mcdonalds-husband-dies%2F The statement continued: "The funeral took place earlier today and we would please ask for your kindness in observing Jane's privacy for her and Ed's family at this sad time." Jane and Eddie first dated each other when they were teenagers. They rekindled their relationship 30 years later after a chance encounter on This Morning. The couple got engaged in 2008 after Eddie popped the question that Christmas. While Jane is best known for her presenting work on the chat show Loose Women, she has also enjoyed a long career in music, like her late partner. Her self-titled debut album spent weeks at the top of the charts in 1998. Last year, McDonald released a version of Labi Siffre's Something Inside So Strong to raise money for the NHS.