Jake Shears, the co-lead vocalist of Scissor Sisters, has joined the new series of Celebrity Gogglebox on Channel 4, appearing alongside Josh Homme. But his love life has often made headlines, particularly his past romance with a fellow famous face.
Jake Shears' 11-Year Relationship with Chris Moukarbel
In 2004, Shears began dating American-Lebanese film director and artist Chris Moukarbel. The couple were together for 11 years before splitting in 2015. Shears described the breakup as devastating, telling PrideSource: “I was just absolutely devastated, and it took me two years to get over it. I've never been so heartbroken.”
The Heartbreaking Reason for Their Split
On the Annie Mac Changes podcast in 2023, Shears candidly revealed that the couple were non-monogamous near the end of their relationship and were “basically dating other people.” He recalled the moment he knew he had to end things. “I remember I was sitting on the beach with this guy I had a crush on… Chris was off with his guy, and I'm sitting on the beach with this guy that I like,” Shears said. “And he looks at me and he's like, 'I'm not going to be your boyfriend.' And it just dawned on me that I wasn't getting anything that I wanted from anyone, anywhere. Like my life. Just nothing was working.”
Shears added: “I went home and broke up with Chris.”
Losing Identity After Scissor Sisters' Hiatus
Around the same time, Shears felt he was losing his identity following Scissor Sisters' hiatus. He shared: “He [Chris] was making documentaries and doing film stuff, and he wanted to go to L.A. So we moved to L.A. together. Didn't have the band anymore, moved to Los Angeles.” Podcast host Annie Mac noted, “And suddenly you're there all the time?” Shears replied: “And I don't have New York anymore. New York was such a big part of my identity. The band was such a big part of my identity. And I was losing my relationship at the same time.”
Celebrity Gogglebox airs every Friday at 9pm on Channel 4.
