We study a sequence of polynomials orthogonal with respect to a one-parameter family of weightsdefined for x ∈ [0, 1]. If t = 0, this reduces to a shifted Jacobi weight. Our ladder operator formalism and the associated compatibility conditions give an easy determination of the recurrence coefficients.For t > 0, the factor e −t/x induces an infinitely strong zero at x = 0. With the aid of the compatibility conditions, the recurrence coefficients are expressed in terms of a set of auxiliary quantities that satisfy a system of difference equations. These, when suitably combined with a pair of Toda-like equations derived from the orthogonality principle, show that the auxiliary quantities are particular Painlevé V and/or allied functions.It is also shown that the logarithmic derivative of the Hankel determinant,, satisfies the Jimbo-Miwa-Okamoto σ -form of the Painlevé V equation and that the same quantity satisfies a second-order non-linear difference equation which we believe to be new. Crown