Jake Quickenden has opened up about the "hardest part" of life as a single dad after his split from his wife. The X Factor star, 38, and estranged wife Sophie Church, 33, announced their separation in May 2026 after eight years together and four years of marriage.
Jake shares sons Leo, five, and one-year-old Kit with Sophie and is stepdad to her teen son Freddie. Taking to Instagram, Jake admitted that "nobody prepares you" for what it's like to be a parent with 50/50 custody.
"Painfully quiet"
Posting a selection of photos with his sons, Jake wrote: "Nobody prepares you for going from seeing your children every single day to seeing them half the time, can you ever prepare yourself for that."
"One minute the house is full of laughter, noise and chaos, and the next it's painfully quiet. I'm learning that being a dad doesn't stop when they're not with me. But the quiet times are going to take some getting used to."
He admitted that he was "feeling guilty for being happy" after his break-up. "One of the strangest things about starting again is feeling guilty for enjoying yourself," he said. "You can be out laughing, making memories, feeling genuinely happy, and then suddenly remember your children aren't with you. I'm slowly learning that I'm allowed to be happy and still miss them more than anything in the world. Two feelings can exist at the same time."
"Starting again"
Jake continued to say that he "never imagined" that he would be starting a new chapter of life at 38. "A new home, a different routine, and learning how to be on my own again."
"Some days I feel excited about the future, other days I miss the life I thought I'd always have," he said. "But I'm realising that starting again doesn't mean you've failed. Sometimes life just takes a different direction."
He admitted that he feels endlessly guilty. "I know my boys are happy, loved and surrounded by people who adore them," he said. "But that doesn't strop me wishing I could be there every second."
"Two homes, the same love," he said. "This wasn't how I imagined life would look when I became a dad. I always pictured us under one roof, making memories together every day. Things change, relationships change, and sometimes two people have to find a different way forward. But one thing that will never change is how loved our boys are. That will always come first."
Finding himself again
Jake said that he was "finding himself" again after the split and said that he is feeling "the happiest [he's] felt" in himself for a long time.
The singer previously said that there was "no malice" between them and he was focused on "moving forward". However, Sophie spoke candidly to her followers in August and shared photos of their last family holiday together. "Just remember behind every social media page is a person riding their own wave," she wrote. Revealing the pain of their final family trip together, she wrote: "On the last family trip abroad I was in the worst headspace & cried 80% of the trip."
