Jake Shane has regularly opened up about his life online, now he’s getting ready to share more about himself in front of a live audience.
On Oct. 7, the influencer, who has garnered over 3.2 million followers on TikTok and 834,000 followers on Instagram, will be venturing off for Therapuss Live, a live version of his podcast, which spans until Nov. 22.
During the tour, Shane, who’s best known for his hit podcast Therapuss, will travel across the country stopping at locations spanning from California to New York. Of all the locations, the creator says he’s most looking forward to stopping in Fayetteville, Ark., as it marked the first location he did “anything live.”
“They just really showed up for me and I’m excited to show back up for them,” he tells us.
While chatting , Shane reveals that the tour will be an “unhinged” in-person version of his typical online podcast, where he has hosted guests like Joe Jonas and Tate McRae. Each show will be unique, featuring surprise guests and interactive elements with the audience. Although he can’t disclose any names just yet, he mentioned that he locked in some guests just last week.
“I’m so excited to be in front of a live audience,” he says. “It’s truly my favorite part of this. Sometimes when I’m recording a podcast or I put a podcast out, it’s rewarding, but when you don’t hear the laughs in real-time, you get a little more insecure about it or a little more in your head. So I am excited to hopefully feel a bit more confident after being able to make people laugh in person.”
Since he started posting on TikTok three years ago, the University of Southern California graduate has opened up about his experiences with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder, using his platform to advocate for mental health while also providing plenty of laughs.
Shane adds that while he “always feels vulnerable” sharing his life online, he usually tries to shrug off his insecurities. “I’m always kind of like whatever … it’ll be fine,” he continues.
He notes that being on the red carpet for the 2024 MTV VMAs made him realize the importance of making people feel comfortable during interviews. From his own experience, he understands how crucial it is to create a positive atmosphere.
“The hardest part was trying to make someone feel comfortable in three minutes or less,” he says. “And then the most rewarding experience was because if I’m interviewing or talking to someone, I don’t want it to just be like, I’m shooting you a question, you answer. I want it to feel like a conversation. So that was a challenge, but I think the rewarding part is that people received it really well.”
While on the carpet at the VMAs, Shane says he was “shocked” by how many people came up to talk to him. The most surprising was Vanguard Award winner Katy Perry, who told him she was a fan of his podcast.
“It just doesn’t feel real,” Shane says when asked about his rise to fame. “I don’t know if it’s because I’m on the meds that I’m on or whatever, but when I hear these people follow me it’s sometimes hard to process as real fact.”
Though he’s currently taking it all in, he already has big ambitions for the future. “[Moving forward] hopefully I can transition into the acting space, but I really do want to bring Therapuss into a late-night-esque show on a streaming platform. I think that would be super cool,” he says.
