Jake Carter: The person I turn to most in life is my mum. I still ring her every day

You’re constantly chasing the euphoria of being on stage — it's a drug

Jake Carter: From the age of 13, I was going to gigs hanging around backstage and in places I shouldn't have been.

I grew up in Liverpool with my mum, dad, my sister Kiara who is two years older than me, and my brother Nathan who is eight years older than me.

Music was always a huge part of my life from an early age. I played the fiddle from about seven or eight and we used to go down to the ‘Liverpool Irish Centre’ every Monday night for lessons. We competed every year in the Fleadh Cheoil.

As I got a little bit older going into secondary school, I decided I wanted to play guitar. The fiddle wasn’t the coolest of instruments in Liverpool. So, I started doing guitar lessons and I’ve never looked back. I was very lucky growing up that my mum and dad always supported me in whatever I wanted to do whether that be guitar lessons, singing lessons, drum lessons, the list is very long.

I do think I was born to be the person I am. I always grew up loving music and entertaining people. Without sounding big-headed, I was quite clever in school, but it was always music for me.

My mum and dad always wanted me to go on to University. In the UK, you don’t have to do your A-Levels, I did stay on and do them just to have them, but whilst I was doing that I was gigging locally around Liverpool and the North West of England in pubs, clubs and restaurants. I had a van in school because I was working and could afford it and I remember everyone always wanted a lift down to the local little village to get food at lunchtime!

After I finished school, I decided to move over to Ireland to live with my brother Nathan in 2017. From then it’s been a rollercoaster ride filled with gigs, festivals, TV, pantomimes and theatre shows.

From the age of 13, I was going to gigs hanging around backstage and in places I shouldn’t have been.

Jake Carter: I try to [be careful] about what I say on social media, especially in this game.  

I definitely matured at a much younger age and got a little sense of what a life in music was like early. I got bit by the bug and never looked back. It’s something you’re constantly chasing... that euphoria on stage. It’s like a drug.

One distinct memory I have from early childhood is when I was nine or ten years old and Santa brought me a drum kit for Christmas. I had a phase where I wanted to be a drummer — before I realised how hard it is to transport a full drum kit everywhere.

My dad at the time was building an extension on the house so the kitchen, living room and empty shell extension were all one large room. I decided to set the new drum kit up right in the middle of this space. I think my parents were probably wishing Santa had brought them some headache tablets to go with the drums!

The greatest challenge I’ve faced so far in my life was moving away from home at the age of 18. That was a huge challenge and definitely made me mature a lot quicker than if I’d have stayed at home.

The person I turn to most in life is my mum. Even though I don’t live at home anymore and she’s back in Liverpool, I still ring her every day for a chat whilst walking the dog.

My proudest achievement... the obvious one would be winning Dancing With The Stars but I always say headlining Vicar Street in 2018 was one of my favourite achievements to date. It was a real pinch-me moment and I can’t wait to do it again.

My greatest quality? I like to think that I’m kind and well-mannered. My pet hate is when people have no manners.

The life lesson I would like to pass on is you can’t please everyone. There will always be someone that disagrees with what you’re doing or wants to see you fail. Take that and use it to motivate yourself instead of thinking negatively about it.

The greatest advice I have ever been given is to think before you speak. Sometimes it’s easier said than done... but I try to [be careful] about what I say on social media, especially in this game.

A lot of stuff happens in the entertainment industry, and if you speak in the heat of the moment... you have to be careful. Another one I heard years ago was, ‘open your mouth and yawn,’ in other words, say nothing! I have a really bad habit of having to say what I think should happen, especially in shows where I am not the director and I have to tell myself to shush...

I would like to be remembered as someone who was kind and genuine.

What surprises me in life is people. That old saying, ‘there’s nowt so queer as folk.’ It’s so, so true.

What scares me most in life is snakes. I always get asked would I ever do I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! and I’d love to do it, but I’d be petrified of snakes, so that would be the huge challenge for me. They’re just so unpredictable!

If I took a different fork in the road, I probably would have ended up being a builder and working with my dad. But to be honest, I don’t think I would have made a great builder. It’s too much like hard work. I did a few weeks of it over lockdown, helping my dad, and it really made me appreciate how much I love doing music!

• Jake Carter is a singer and winner of series 2 of Dancing with the Stars. He has a music school in Dublin, Jake Carter School Of Music.