Tired of touring the pub circuit former Butlins star Jayne Middleton set sail from Kidsgrove for a life on the ocean waves – and she's taking Annie Lennox with her, writes Liz Rowley.

WITH some of the biggest names in music as her icons, there was little doubt professional singer Jayne Middleton would strike it big in the entertainment industry.

But while her powerful voice is more than capable of making a rousing impression on the listener, it's her memorable tributes to Annie Lennox and Cher that have seen the 33-year-old from Kidsgrove haul anchor on the UK's demanding and often disheartening pub circuit for a luxurious life on the high seas.

"I don't come from a musical background," she says, "but I've always had an interest in music and I kept up with singing and playing the piano over the years."

With dreams of a life in showbusiness, Jayne, a former student of Maryhill High School in Kidsgrove and Stoke-on-Trent College, tried to break into the industry for 10 years, but getting a foot in the door hasn't proved easy.

She says: "But this is all I've ever wanted to do, and now I'm fortunate to be doing something I'm really passionate about."

Jayne's story has seen her grow from a young Butlins cast member and wannabe London actress to an independent artist on five-star cruise liners. But the path hasn't always been smooth

"I joined the Butlins cast in 1998 and worked all three of its UK sites for four years," says Jayne, who lives with her boyfriend Andy Egerton, a 27-year-old sound engineer.

"They were some of the best years of my life, and I learnt so much about the business while I was there. But when I left and started working the pub circuit, there were moments when I wondered if it was all really worth it, especially when people couldn't really care less whether you were up there singing or not. But saying that, the good gigs certainly made up for the bad ones."

Now making a good living on board some of Britain's premier cruise liners such as Ocean Village and P&O's Ventura, it's hard to believe the journey Jayne has taken to reach where she is today. She says: "I was travelling round the UK performing in some really dingy run down pubs, and at times it was terrible. There were frightening times when I worried about being glassed by drunken punters and when it felt like I was singing my heart out to a brick wall, but this was what I loved to do more than anything, and while it wasn't always good I knew I wanted to keep singing."

With musical influences from artists such as Sheryl Crow, Ella Fitzgerald, Prince and KT Tunstall, with support from her parents, in particular proud dad Chris Middleton, it wasn't long before Jayne developed her one-woman show into a top class tribute act dedicated to two of music's most iconic women – Annie Lennox and Cher.

"I'm so passionate about music, and the women I pay tribute to are women who have inspired me over the years," says Jayne, who performed as Cher at this year's Sentinel Extravaganza at The Trentham Estate.

Working on the glitzy liners came after she was spotted by an agent while working in London. Taking her first cruise in April this year, since then she has travelled the world including numerous trips to the Caribbean – a far cry from the holiday camps of Bognor Regis, Skegness and Minehead.

"Everything is different on the cruise ships because everyone loves to watch you perform," she says. "I do a variety of different shows from Latino to musicals, but when I'm performing as Annie most people love what I do.

"You have the Annie fans who congratulate me, the non-fans who might not like her but enjoyed my show, and the people who didn't realise she sang as many songs as she did. For me it's just great to finally be appreciated for what I love to do. After 10 years of trying I finally feel like I'm getting somewhere."

Now, with a whole new career lying ahead of her, Jayne says she's no regrets over her choice of career, and even boyfriend Andy is happy for her, even though her job means time apart now she has to travel.

"Andy travels a lot with his job so it's not too bad at the moment," she concludes.