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Jake Spence, aka Apollo Jackson first caught our collective attention in 2015 when he starred in The Bachelorette. Since then, this single stud has shown no shown no signs of fading into the background. DJ, singer, magician, and perhaps even our next Bachelor, Apollo looks set to make 2019 his.
But first, let’s go back to where it all began…
The Bachelorette
Apollo had been single for a year and a half before he appeared on Season 3 of The Bachelorette, which featured national treasure Sophie Monk. Apollo made a great first impression on Sophie when they first met, doing much to quash the stigma that plagues the magic community
“I always thought magicians were nerd burgers that sit in their bedrooms practicing all day,” said Sophie. “But he is smooth! Apollo is one of the hottest magicians I have ever seen.” Amen to that, Soph!
Apollo was 24 at the time, and 13 years Sophie’s junior, but that didn’t stop the pair from forming a genuine connection. Sophie felt that Apollo was “mature” and “wise beyond his years” and, after glamorous 1950’s style solo-date, they shared their first kiss in Episode 5.
However, Apollo’s nerves got the better of him in Episode 11. One of the final three contestants in contention for Ms Monk’s heart, he stumbled through their solo date, which made for awkward viewing. This ultimately led to Sophie sending him home. Reflecting on the date, Apollo admitted
“It was awkward. I was absolutely exhausted, and I was nervous, I couldn’t string together a proper sentence.”
We were crushed that Apollo’s time on The Bachelorette had come to an end. But it wasn’t long before he was back, and looking as hunky as ever, on Bachelor in Paradise!
Bachelor in Paradise
The first season of Bachelor in Paradise Australia premiered in March 2018 and Apollo arrived in Episode 9. His good-looks and charm caught the eye of many contestants and soon, both Simone Ormesher and Elora Murger were vying for Apollo’s attention.
Former best friends turned rivals, Simone and Elora battled it out for the chance to find love with Apollo after having both appeared in Season 5 of The Bachelor alongside Matty J. The tension reached its climax when, much to Simone’s dismay, Apollo engaged in some fire twirling with Simone on the beach.
“I was really, really upset and angry at the fact that me and Elora had made up again and we had been hanging out all day together and she had never mentioned it to me that she had set something up,” Simone explained to WHO.
“So she waited until the part when me and him were together, I’m all dressed up and everyone’s in the couples and she calls him away from me and I was in shock. I was really upset. The fact that it was mainly girl code that she didn’t have a chat with me.”
Fans held their breath during that episode’s rose ceremony. Ultimately, Apollo gave his rose to Simone and the couple left the show together however they didn’t up together.
“Unfortunately, Simone and I just didn’t work out,” Apollo told WHO. “We tried our best but obviously, I’m based in Gold Coast and Sydney and she’s in Melbourne so with our work schedules we just couldn’t really make it work.”
But all of this unfolded early last year, and so much time has passed. The question on everybody’s lips is – who is the real Apollo Jackson? Lucky for you, we’ve got the scoop!
1. What is Apollo’s real name?
Apollo’s birth name is Jake Spence. The reason he chose Apollo as his stage name is quite touching. A few years ago, Jake Spence was going through a rough patch. He was on a low wage, struggling to chase his dreams and to build his career. He spent a lot of time driving to gigs in his car, a Holden Apollo. Some nights, he had no choice but to sleep in his vehicle. However, Jake knew things would get better. He has said that even though the car was “crappy” (his words, not ours), it was what was getting him to his gigs on time. So, he adopted the name of his car and from such humble beginnings, Apollo Jackson was born!
2. How old is Apollo?
Apollo was born on the 4th September 1992, so this hunk with a heart of gold will be turning 27 in 2019.
3. How tall is Apollo?
Apollo is approximately 6ft tall. Sophie Monk stands at 1.68m, and the height difference was unmistakable during Apollo’s time on The Bachelorette.
4. Where did Apollo grow up?
Apollo grew up in Queensland, and now splits his time between the Gold Coast and Sydney.
5. Has Apollo always been so fit?
It may come as a shock to you, but Apollo hasn’t always been the chiselled picture of health that graces our television screens today. He was once a security guard who tipped the scales at 150 kilograms. “I went through a period where I was crazy stressed, so I ended up overweight. I put on 40kgs, weighing 150kgs, was mega-stressed, not happy and went through a bit of depression” said the star.
Then, the unthinkable happened. Apollo suffered a heart attack at the age of 22. “I was at a friend’s place. I had just finished a 14-hour shift and then – boom. I ended up in critical care for two weeks and I just reassessed my life.”
Apollo went on a gruelling diet and exercise regimen to get his life back on track and ended up dropping 50kgs in preparation for The Bachelorette. Both of Apollo’s parents were once physique models, and this in part motivated him to achieve the weight loss. “It took 22 weeks of dieting and intense workouts” he recalls. “The biggest challenge for me was impatience and not to be too hard on myself.
With weight, it’s very progressive and you have to be consistent – you’re not going to lose a bunch of weight overnight.” While Apollo loves to lift weights and to take part in functional training, his least favourite workout is intensive cardio.
Can relate!
6. Is Apollo actually a magician (and is he any good)?
Apollo is actually a magician – and yes, he’s good! After his heart attack, Apollo took time to reflect on what his true passions were. “I just went, ‘OK, what do I really want in life?’ And at the end of the day it was making people smile and making people feel good and my heart has always been doing that” he says.
Not only is his close up magic impressive (here he is on the streets of Toowoomba wowing the locals) :
But he has also correctly picked the Melbourne Cup’s top three place getters a week ahead of the event – twice! He’s been called ‘Australia’s answer to Dynamo’, so he’s no C-Grade kids party magician.
Apollo recently announced on his Instagram that he would be “kicking off 2019 with a brand-new stage show” called Influence, which promises to be a “devilish blend of mentalism, magic and danger.”
We are in danger – danger of falling under his spell! And we still can’t work out how he managed off this incredible trick.
7. Does Apollo play music?
Apollo is also an accomplished singer/songwriter and DJ – is there anything this hunk can’t do?
After starring in The Bachelorette, Apollo’s song ‘With You’ hit the airwaves. His first single featured a dreamy music video and reached number #6 on the Dance Charts and #24 on the overall iTunes charts.
Apollo has revealed that a few dates with a mystery woman inspired the song. “I’d actually been on a date or two and I came home and just wrote this song” the star said. “It tells a bit of a story which is cool and I’s really fun and it’s really summery.” It remains unclear what became of his single ‘Addiction’, which was due for release in 2017. But even if all we got was this amazing 1980’s inspired cover art, we’re not complaining.
Among other venues, Apollo has DJ’d at Ministry of Sound Club and The Greenwood Hotel in Sydney, Discover in Darwin, Ministry of Sound Club in Adelaide. Here’s his remix of Shawn Mendes’ ‘In My Blood’ – amazing, right?
8. What else does he do for work?
Apollo has so many plates spinning, it’s no wonder he hasn’t had the time to find true love yet! When he’s not singing, DJing or performing magic, Apollo also appears in advertisements.
And is a model and ambassador for big/tall men’s fashion line Johnny Bigg.
We can’t think of a better ‘suited’ bloke for the job! Apollo says of his work, “It’s just a brand that has style and comfort for bigger guys at the forefront of their mind is really nice, rather than just an afterthought. The fact that you can feel confident to wear super nice clothes as a tall, bigger guy and not have to settle for the one or two sizes that might fit you at the back of the rack.”
9. Who has Apollo dated in the past?
Apollo is a self-confessed ‘girlfriend guy’, so he has dated a lot of lucky ladies in the past. Last year he revealed on The Kyle & Jackie O Show that he had had “about 10” girlfriends in the past and had seen 3-4 other women causally in-between those relationships. Former girlfriends include Bachelor in Paradise contestant Simone.
Sadly, the pair parted ways last year but there is no ill-feeling. Speaking about the break-up, Apollo said:
“With our work schedules we just couldn’t really make it work. But you know it was all positive, nothing negative there, we just couldn’t really make it work. We both think each other are awesome, but romantically it didn’t work out.”
10. Does he currently have a girlfriend?
Apollo is currently single, and rumour has it that he’s ready to mingle – as Australia’s next Bachelor!
After a shocking season that saw ‘The Honey Badger’ Nick Cummins ditch both Brittany and Sophie before leaving the show single, all bets are on Apollo being our leading man in 2019. While the show’s producers are adamant that “no decisions have been made yet”, Apollo would be a safe choice. A fan favourite who has thus far been unlucky in love, there’s no doubt that Apollo would give us all the happy ending we missed out on last season.
11. Does Apollo have an Instagram account?
If you want your daily fix of Apollo Jackson, you’ve got a variety of options to choose from.
You can follow him on Instagram here: @apollojacksonofficial
And if you’re interested in sports nutrition, you can also follow: @jake.nexusnutrition
His Facebook page is: Apollo Jackson Official
You can tweet him at: @apollomagician
Keep up to date with his latest music and illusions on YouTube by subscribing to: Apollo Jackson
And here’s his official website for everything else: www.apollojackson.com
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