Jason Donovan won't spend Christmas with his daughter

Jason Donovan is devastated he won’t be able to spend Christmas with his daughter.

The ‘Any Dream Will Do’ hitmaker – who lives in London – is gutted he will be without his daughter Jemma, 20, this year for the festive season due to Australia’s strict quarantine laws amid COVID-19.

Speaking on ITV’s Lorraine, he said: “It’s a tough year for us. It’s the first time she won’t be able to be with us because the Australian quarantine rules are very strict. A lot is going on. I am proud of her. As a dad, you want your kids to find a passion and Jemma loves her work and she loves who she’s working with. It’s gone full circle for us because she’s back working in my hometown.”

Meanwhile, the 52-year-old actor previously insisted his daughter is “smashing it” on ‘Neighbours’.

He said: “This show has been going for 30, 40 years. No show in the history of Australia has lasted that long, and I’m extremely proud of what it gave me. She’s doing well so far. She’s smashing it. We still have family out there too [in Melbourne] and she has an Australian passport, so it’s kind of a second home.”

Jemma followed in her father’s footsteps last year when she joined the cast. However, the 20-year-old star has explained she is keen to earn her own plaudits rather than relying on the Donovan name.

She said: “I love that people associate us together, but I want to show people I’m not just on ‘Neighbours’ for my last name. I need to prove to people that I can do this. That was also great because it gave me a lot of drive.”