Katherine Jenkins return to TV screens this Christmas in a festive special recorded at Swansea Arena and is joined by guests Jack Savoretti, Wynne Evans and Michael Sheen. The concert airs on BBC Two on December 23 and comes after a busy year for Katherine, who launched a new gin in the autumn. She also returned to the Principality Stadium in February of this year, performing at the Six Nations match between Wales v England - 20 years after she first performed at the iconic venue for a Wales rugby international.

It's been quite a journey for the Welsh mezzo soprano since she first impressed with her singing skills, both personally and professionally. She is one of the most popular and respected performers in the world, has a gorgeous family and has amassed a considerable fortune through her talents.

The Neath-born star also visits the Ty Olwen hospice near Swansea for the first time since 1995. It was here, at the age of 15, that Katherine lost her father, Selwyn, to cancer and she returns to pay homage to the care and health workers who spend their Christmas caring for others.

READ NEXT: Katherine Jenkins shares how her 'hero' dad inspired her new career direction

READ MORE: 'My life came crashing down then working for Charlotte Church changed everything'

Katherine said of the Swansea special: "“There's only a couple of Christmas specials happening on the telly this year,” she said. “The fact that we get to do one of these from Wales, which was really important to me and I think important to the BBC. We've got lots of special guests coming, which I can't release yet, but we will be doing soon. It’s really nice to be home for Christmas.

“Performing for a home crowd is always amazing. It always makes you want to up your game a little bit because I do appreciate the support I get from home.”

Want less ads? Download WalesOnline’s Premium app on Apple or Android

How much is Katherine Jenkins worth?

According to Celebrity net worth, Katherine’s fortune is estimated at £16.5 million.

In 2007, she made the British young people’s Sunday Times Rich List which ranked her as the sixty-second richest young person in Britain with an estimated wealth of £9 million.

In 2010, the Sunday Times Rich List placed her at joint 11th in the Top 20 Young Millionaires list, alongside Charlotte Church with an estimated wealth of £11 million.

Katherine is the best-selling classical artist of the last 25 years in the UK, ahead of the likes of Luciano Pavarotti and Andre Rieu.

In November 2018 her 13th studio album ‘Guiding Light’ was released, charting at Number 2. In May 2019 it reached Number 1 making Jenkins the first classical artist to have had 13 Number one albums.

Katherine was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2014 New Year Honours for her services to music and for charitable services.[65][66]

Who is Katherine Jenkins' husband?

Katherine married American painter Andrew Levitas in 2014 at Hampton Court Palace on 27 September 2014, with the vicar from her hometown conducting a religious blessing later.

Levitas is also a filmmaker and writer. He is the founder of Metalwork Pictures a media production company which develops and produces original works.

He also has several business interests and is current part-owner of Soho restaurants Little Prince and Lola Taverna.

The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter called Aaliyah Reign, in New York City in September 2015. Their son, Xander Robert Selwyn, was born in April 2018.

The David Beckham email scandal

The 42-year-old opera singer found herself caught up in a David Beckham email scandal in February 2017, when a string of messages sent between the former England footballer and his publicist were leaked online.

In them, Beckham branded the Honours Committee "unappreciative c***s" after he missed out on a knighthood in 2013.

He also took aim at the singer, saying in one email: "Katherine Jenkins OBE for what? Singing at the rugby and going to see the troops plus taking coke. F**king joke."

Speaking of the episode, Katherine told the Sun: "It's obviously disappointing. I've never heard anything from them about it.

"You're just minding your own business and you get caught up in this massive storm. You just think, 'Aw, I wasn't doing anything'. To get caught up in that wasn't pleasant. I don't know why, again, that was aimed at me.

"I also don't feel the need to defend this, by the way. I know what I've done and when I got the OBE it was given to me for music, and for charity.

"Priorities are my kids, my family, my singing, my charities and that's just white noise in the background."

Beckham’s references to "coke" in the email was a reference to the singing star admitting to taking illegal drugs in the past, including cocaine, ecstasy and MDMA, until she was 23.

“I felt like I had to be honest, that was the thing,” she told The Sun,

“I look back and I think it was the right thing to do and I definitely don’t regret talking about it. I think it was something that needed to be addressed.”