A popstar has admitted he went from touring with Ed Sheeran to claiming benefits.
Jake Roche, 32, had a smash hit in the 2010s with his band Rixton. The song, Me and My Broken Heart, climbed to the top of the charts in the UK, and put him in good stead with fellow artists including Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran.
Ed and Jake ended getting on so well that Ed invited Jake to tour with the band alongside him, as the Lego House singer’s career was taking off. He also went on to live with Sheeran for some time, and was linked to projects with Justin Bieber thanks to their shared manager, controversial figure Scooter Braun.
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However, things all went pear-shaped for the singer, who has now recounted his experiences in a new comedy show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The show, titled Neporrhoids, sees Roche take on his career failures and shows how they taught him valuable life lessons – with a host of giggles and tears along the way.
(Image: @jakeroche/Instagram)
The singer is also no stranger to fame and fortune, as he is the son of singer and Loose Women star Coleen Nolan. He also has acting blood in him, as his father is EastEnders legend Shane Richie, best known for playing Alfie on the Square.
Speaking to The Times, Jake admitted that his band Rixton “kicked off big time in America”, which led to a flurry of gigs and opportunities. “We hung around with Biebs a fair bit,” he recalled.
“It’s your classic story of a teen pop star who gets it all and loses it all,” he said. “[I had] an existential crisis at the end of my twenties.
(Image: Getty Images)
“The saddest thing was I was clinging on, trying to convince my friends and family that I was just taking a break. But the truth is that my calendar was blocked out every single day from the age of 18 until 23, 24 – and then just nothing.”
Roche revealed that he had never “experienced failure” in his life and did not know how to deal with the pain of being rejected. “It blew me to smithereens,” he confessed.
Jake found love with former Little Mix star Jesy Nelson and even went as far as to get engaged, but eventually called time on their relationship in 2016. It was at this point he moved into pop icon Ed’s home, as he admitted he was “a bit worried” about Jake’s health.
(Image: Getty Images)
After things fell apart, Jake was forced to claim Universal Credit and get himself back together. “I’m hyper-aware that a lot of people who sign up for it don’t have the safety nets that I have,” he said, adding that he only now feels the guilt of getting back on his feet.
Jake’s parents Coleen and Shane broke up when he was aged just nine. Since then, he has been able to land jobs in music and acting, landing a small role as Hannah Barton’s Isaac from August to October of 2010.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
