I’ve been on every reality show but there’s a dark side to them and I’m constantly worried about my next pay cheque
HE first rose to fame on the X Factor back in 2012 and while many have faded into obscurity, Jake Quickenden has firmly cemented himself as a household name.
But the 36-year-old is the first to admit there’s a dark side to it all, which rarely gets talked about but affects everyone in the industry – money.
Jake told us: “I’m always worrying about work, you see work come and go, you’re wondering when your next job’s coming in.
“Obviously you go on a show such as Big Brother and you’re loved by some people and hated by others, and there’s a lot of factors that you have to think about with reality TV.
“It can be a tough place to be sometimes.”
As well as the X Factor, Jake has appeared on I’m A Celebrity, Dancing on Ice, SAS Who Dares Wins and MasterChef to name a few.
He has also appeared in a number of stage roles and is making a name for himself in the theatre world.
Speaking to The Sun via WhichBingo, Jake – who is a dad of three – said: “I’m obviously worried from job to job because money is the main thing that kind of keeps you ticking over.
“You want to pay your mortgage, you wanna be able to go on holiday when you choose and stuff, so I guess there’s always a worry if you’re not working, that you’re not earning money.
“I’m not a multi-millionaire, but I’ve got savings in case some work doesn’t come in for a year and I’m auditioning and it doesn’t go my way.
“You’ve got to use your head and think, in the past when I was younger I’d probably just spend all my money and blow it and then not think about the consequences, but when you’re a father and you’ve got a family and a house and a car to pay for then you do have to put a bit of money away for a rainy day or in case work’s not coming in.”
Jake and wife Sophie are parents to children Leo and Kit, who was born at the start of the year.
He is also step dad to Sophie’s son Freddie from a previous relationship.
The star revealed his kids are his biggest inspiration, telling us: “Everything I do is for them.
“I wanna set them up for a decent life and I wanna give them a decent amount of savings.”
And Jake has no plans of slowing down soon, adding: “I don’t feel I ever do enough, so I’ll continue to just kind of work my a***e off and and hopefully continue for a very long time.”