Jane McDonald leads Cats in Blackpool

Jane McDonald will star as Grizabella in Cats when it runs at Blackpool Opera House for a limited eight week season from 9 July.

Following in the footsteps of Nicole Scherzinger and Kerry Ellis, who both played Grizabella in the recent London run of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, McDonald said: "I am absolutely thrilled to be playing Grizabella in Cats. It is an honour to have been selected by Andrew Lloyd Webber and I can’t wait for the show to begin in July."

The transfer will be the "only place theatregoers can see Cats north of London in 2015".

Jane McDonald rose to fame in 1998 in BBC reality show The Cruise, and has since released several solo albums and toured the UK. She was a regular presenter on Loose Women from 2004-14, and her theatre credits include Romeo and Juliet – the Musical at the Piccadilly Theatre.

Andrew Lloyd Webber said of the Blackpool run: "Cats was originally seen in Blackpool 26 years ago when Marti Webb played Grizabella. I am thrilled that for this return visit Jane McDonald is to join our company to take on the role."

Cats runs at Blackpool Opera House from 9 July to 6 September. The rest of the cast is to be announced.