Episodes

  • Jake’s ‘Masked Singer’ Take & Season 14 Debuts!

    Jake’s ‘Masked Singer’ Take & Season 14 Debuts!
    Jan 8 2026
    Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar is beginning our 15th anniversary celebration! To commemorate this milestone, I decided to combine two of my favorite things – podcasting and The Masked Singer!

    Introducing, Jake’s Masked Singer Take! Like its older brother spin-off, Jake’s AGT Take, this podcast focuses on FOX’s undercover celebrity talent competition!

    For the first time in a year, The Masked Singer is back and with its biggest twist ever! Earlier in December, actress and singer (and Rita Ora’s Disney’s Descendants co-star) Kylie Cantrall was revealed to fans as the MS Insider. However, while the panel (Rita, Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, and Robin Thicke) doesn’t know she is competing, viewers don't know her undercover identity.

    In addition to Kylie competing, Entertainment Weekly reported that there are 17 additional costumes and that this batch of performers collectively has over 54 million Instagram followers and sold over 94 million records. These performers will compete throughout different theme nights, including Fear Factor (with new host Johnny Knoxville), Star Trek, Clueless, and Ozzfest, which will see Kelly Osbourne (Ladybug in Season Two) return and help the show pay homage to her late father -the incomparable Ozzy Osbourne.

    On Wednesday, January 7, The Masked Singer returned to FOX airwaves for a massive two-hour season premiere!

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jake-s-take-with-jacob-elyachar--4112003/support.
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    12 mins
  • Tony Winning Producer EVAN MCGILL RETURNS + TALKS ‘Sunset Blvd’ & ‘2 Strangers’ | JTWJE15 EP #401

    Tony Winning Producer EVAN MCGILL RETURNS + TALKS ‘Sunset Blvd’ & ‘2 Strangers’ | JTWJE15 EP #401
    Jan 5 2026
    It is a thrill to welcome back my friend, three-time Tony-winning producer and investor Evan McGill, to The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast!

    Evan is also a Drama Desk Award and Drama League Award-winning theatrical and music producer whose work spans Broadway, the West End, and Australia. He is a member of the Broadway League and the founder of Evan McGill Productions, where he has played a pivotal role in shaping some of the most celebrated theatrical productions in recent years. ​ On Broadway, his producing credits include Parade (2023), The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window (2023), The Outsiders, and Sunset Blvd (2024), and he has held a stake in numerous other commercial productions. Across the pond, Evan is involved in the West End revivals of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express (2024) and Evita (2025), among others. In Australia, he has been involved with Hamilton, MJ, and Beetlejuice.

    In addition to his work on stage, Evan McGill has produced successful Broadway cast albums, including The Music Man: The 2022 Broadway Cast Recording and Funny Girl: New Broadway Cast Recording—both of which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Cast Albums chart. ​ In the world of entertainment finance, Evan McGill serves as a general partner at Tanninger Fund II, an SEC-registered investment vehicle that supports live entertainment ventures globally. His work has earned him three Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical for Parade at the 76th Tony Awards, Best Musical for The Outsiders at the 77th Tony Awards (in collaboration with Tanninger Entertainment), and Best Revival of a Musical for Sunset Blvd. at the 78th Tony Awards. He also received a Drama Desk Award for Parade and a Drama League Award as part of the producing team behind Sunset Blvd.

    On this episode of The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, Evan McGill talked about his success with The Outsiders, why Sunset Blvd was a cultural phenomenon, and previewed both the latest North American tour of Monty Python’s Spamalot and Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York).

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jake-s-take-with-jacob-elyachar--4112003/support.
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    30 mins
  • JON BRENNAN & BETH STOLARCZYK RETURN & TALK Coral, ‘The Challenge’ & MTV’s Legacy | JTWJE EP 400

    JON BRENNAN & BETH STOLARCZYK RETURN & TALK Coral, ‘The Challenge’ & MTV’s Legacy | JTWJE EP 400
    Jan 1 2026
    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jake-s-take-with-jacob-elyachar--4112003/support.
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    54 mins
  • Best of 2025 Podcast (State of the Podcast, Top 10 Golden Buzzers, & Previewing the 15th Anniversary)

    Best of 2025 Podcast (State of the Podcast, Top 10 Golden Buzzers, & Previewing the 15th Anniversary)
    Dec 22 2025
    It is hard to believe that 2025 is concluding on December 31. This year has come and gone so fast!Professional Milestones: It has been an incredible year for Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar, as we received our first award – a Silver Stevie for “Best Interview / Talk Show” in the inaugural podcasting division. Million Podcasts placed the Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast at number 72 on their Best 100 Celebrity Interview Podcasts in the US. I am honored to be included on this list, joining On Air with Ryan Seacrest (number four), The Drew Barrymore Show (number five), Entertainment Tonight (number 20), Zach Sang Song (number 21), and Vanity Fair’s Little Gold Men (number 49). Finally, I am delighted to announce that I was named a Small Biz Superstar by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. State of the Podcast: It’s time for the annual state of The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast! Season Six has ended, and what a year! Our downloads surpassed 2024 and crossed the 15,000- and 16,000-lifetime download milestones. In 2025, the podcast reached its highest listenership to date, with listeners in 76 countries! I want to thank the listeners in the United States, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, India, Germany, France, Brazil, and the Netherlands, who listened to the podcast the most. Our most downloaded episodes of 2025 were my conversations with Taskmaster UK’s Greg Davies and Alex Horne; my two-part interview with The Challenge 41 champion Yeremi Hykel; Emmy-winning actor Mike Manning; the 375th episode, starring Challenge Mania co-host Scott Yager; and the Reality TV Godfather, Mark Long. Emmy-winning actor and advocate Yuval David, Canada’s Got Talent winner, Jacob Lewis (whose interview is my seventh most viewed YouTube video), actor and Rookie Revolution host Oscar Chark, Tony Mantor, award-winning journalist Jane Eisner, and Men Explained, Finally author Tom Sturges round out the Top 10. Music Notes: This year saw a lot of impeccable music! My Top 40 songs playlist features duets from Barbra Streisand and Bob Dylan’s “My Funny Valentine” and Calum Scott and the late Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me),” originals including Morgan Wallen’s “I’m the Problem,” Yuval Raphael’s “A New Day will Rise” and Zac Brown Band’s “The Sum.” There were also exceptional covers such as Adam Lambert’s “Heaven’s on Their Minds” and Cynthia Erivo’s show-stopping “No Good Deed.” In addition to Ms. Streisand, Mr. Scott, Mr. Wallen, and the Zac Brown Band, 2025 produced impeccable albums from Ciara, Elton John and Brandi Carlile, Lady Gaga, Michael Lazar, Tim Johnson, Jr., Toby Gad, and The Weeknd. Previewing The 15th Anniversary: 2026 marks the 15th anniversary of Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar brand. I never thought when I started jakes-take.com in August 2011, I would still be creating content. 13 episodes of the podcast’s seventh season have been recorded! Reality TV legends Jon Brennan and Beth Stolarczyk will be the guests on the milestone 400th episode. Other returning guests include Demi the Daredevil’s Jeff, three-time Tony-winning producer Evan McGill, Kim Yarbrough (her first appearance on my platform in 14 years), Mike Lewis, and Rookie Revolution host Oscar Chark (in a joint appearance), Paulie Calafiore, and Tony Berardo. Reality TV icon and three-time Challenge champion Wes Bergmann and his wife, Amanda, freelance rockstar Julie Cortes, actor Jake Jensen, award-winning TV producer Woody Woodbeck, and singers Kendra Erika and Tristan are making their first visits. In Memoriam: Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar pays homage to several impeccable people who passed away in 2025. Chef Anne Burrell, Anthony Geary, Brian Wilson, Diane Keaton, George Wendt, James Carter Cathcart, Jim Shooter, Leslie Charleson, Malcolm Jamal Warner, Michelle Trachtenberg, Ozzy Osbourne, Peter Yarrow, Rod Reiner, Ruth Buzzi, Sam Moore, Sly Stone, and Val Kilmer all left remarkable imprints on pop culture, and they will be missed. I also want to acknowledge the tragic deaths and passings of my fellow Kansas Citian, Sarah Milgrim, and her boyfriend, Yaron Lischinsky, who were fatally shot in Washington, D.C. at the Capital Jewish Museum. I am also still reeling from the shooting at a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, where 15 people were massacred, and 40 people were injured. Season’s Greetings:Thank you, everyone, for all your support this year! I want to thank all my guests who took time out of their schedules to visit the podcast, as well as the media teams who trusted my platform to help their clients see and share their stories. I also want to give a special shoutout to my family: mom Gloria, dad Matthew, brother Aaron, sister-in-law Whitney, nephew Nash, and nieces Emory and Kennedy. I love you all to pieces! Finally, thank you to the ...
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    31 mins
  • Yeremi Hykel TALKS WINNING ‘The Challenge 41’ | JTWJE Podcast Special #20

    Yeremi Hykel TALKS WINNING ‘The Challenge 41’ | JTWJE Podcast Special #20
    Dec 11 2025
    It is a thrill to welcome back newly crowned Challenge champion Yeremi Hykel for a special Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast episode.

    A veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, Yeremi first appeared on Reality TV on The Amazing Race 35, which aired in 2023. He partnered with his brother, Navy veteran Liam, who had been estranged for years. The first leg saw the duo start racing from the Hollywood sign and finish in Thailand, where they placed eighth out of 13. The duo was nearly eliminated in Vietnam, but fortunately, it was a non-elimination leg. Sadly, Yeremi and Liam were sent home after the Race took them to India. Throughout the competition, Yeremi completed two roadblocks, while his brother completed three challenges.

    Two years later, Yeremi headed to The Challenge to compete on the long-running Reality TV competition’s forty-first season, Vets vs. New Threats. Yeremi made a name for himself when he completed the opening challenge – climbing the mountain to get to the Challenge House. Throughout the season, Yeremi showcased his leadership abilities and became one of the New Threats’ strongest leaders in the house. He won both the “Cyclone” daily challenge with fellow New Threat Sydney Segal and the “Running Man” daily challenge with partner Aviv Bruno. He also competed in the “Pull It Together” elimination challenge against two-time Challenge champion Jonna Mannion and New Threat Gabe Wai and won. When Yeremi is not competing, he is a model signed with the Block Agency, a fierce competitor in various fitness competitions, and a world traveler.

    In part two of our conversation, Yeremi Hykel discussed the second half of the game, which featured a shocking move: he chose to partner with Olivia Kaiser over Aviv, winning The Challenge 41: Vets vs. New Threats, and which show icons he wants to face off in a future season.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jake-s-take-with-jacob-elyachar--4112003/support.
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    42 mins
  • Michael Mackie RETURNS + TALKS ‘You Have 4 Minutes’ | JTWJE EP 399

    Michael Mackie RETURNS + TALKS ‘You Have 4 Minutes’ | JTWJE EP 399
    Dec 8 2025
    For the final regular podcast of 2025, I am thrilled to welcome back my friend, eight-time Emmy-winning media personality Michael Mackie, to The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast!

    Michael Mackie is a proud Midwesterner. Growing up, he always knew he wanted to be in TV. Or on TV. Or watching TV. (He’s not picky.) “I even got my degree in broadcasting from the University of Iowa to prove to the world I was not only educated but well-versed in sitcoms, game shows, and Oprah,” he says. “Also, I got minors in French and acting as well. Someday, that will enable me to write, produce, direct, and star in a straight-to-video project in Quebec.”

    Not only is Michael an Aries with a Pisces rising, but he’s also an eight-time Emmy award winner. He’s worked and freelanced for various local television affiliates in Des Moines, Orlando, and Kansas City, and was the co-host of a local daily entertainment show, KC Live. A prolific travel writer by trade, Michael recently joined the prestigious Society of American Travel Writers. “My parents never could comprehend how I earned my keep stringing words together for the universe to appreciate,” he says. “Frankly, that makes three of us. But I feel like it’s what I was put on this earth to do. I was born to tell people’s stories. Whether you read it—welp, that’s up to you.”

    Recently, Michael Mackie released his new book, You Have 4 Minutes: My Life as an Unlikely Celebrity Interviewer. The book, which includes an introduction by Cindy Wilson of the B-52’s, explains why actress Lindsay Wagner (The Bionic Woman) was one of his favorite interview subjects, and why Andrew Dice Clay was his worst interview. You Have 4 Minutes explores the art of interviewing, dishes a bit of gossip about the stars, and dives deep into his navigation throughout his life’s biggest challenges – suffering a major stroke at age 40, the beast that is alcoholism, and a year without all refined sugar.

    On this episode of The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, Michael Mackie spoke about his writing process, some of his most memorable entries, including telling Marie Osmond, “Perky! Boobies Up,” and Jennifer Holliday’s presence on the defunct Kansas City Live set, and having Cindy Wilson write the book’s introduction.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jake-s-take-with-jacob-elyachar--4112003/support.
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    22 mins
  • TOBY GAD TALKS Iconic Songs, Swearing at Madonna + ‘Piano Diaries Christmas’ | JTWJE Holiday Special 2025

    TOBY GAD TALKS Iconic Songs, Swearing at Madonna + ‘Piano Diaries Christmas’ | JTWJE Holiday Special 2025
    Dec 1 2025
    It is an honor and a privilege to welcome music producer and songwriter Toby Gad to the first Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast Holiday Special!

    Toby began his career in the late 1980s, when he and his brother Jens had three of their songs featured on controversial music duo Milli Vanilli’s European debut and multi-platinum album, All or Nothing. Because of the songs’ success, Milli Vanilli’s producer Frank Farian produced the brothers’ 1990 debut album, NRG. That same year, Toby met Jacqueline Nemorin, and a 10-year collaboration began with 1992’s Creole Dance and continued with 1995’s Mission of Love and the title song for Neverending Story III.

    Following success in Germany, Toby left for the United States. He opened Strawberrybee studio in Midtown Manhattan and co-wrote “Unspoken” with Madeline Stone and O. Hatch for Christian platinum artist Jaci Velasquez. The song stayed on the Christian Billboard Top 20 Singles chart for half a year. In 2003, Toby produced and co-wrote “A Toast to Men” for Willa Ford, and two years later, developed, produced, and co-wrote Kaci Brown’s Interscope Records debut, Instigator. He also produced and co-wrote songs for Ricky Martin and the Veronicas.

    In 2008, his career shifted into high gear after Fergie released a song they co-wrote, “Big Girls Don’t Cry.” The song went 4x platinum and peaked at the number one position on the US Billboard Hot 100. He also co-wrote and co-produced Beyoncé’s “If I Were A Boy,” which went 2x platinum and peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100. He continued to write massive hits for Calum Scott (“No Matter What”), Demi Lovato (“Skyscraper”), Jessie J (“Who You Are”), Josh Groban (“River”), Leona Lewis (“Fire Under My Feet’), and Madonna (“Bitch, I’m Madonna” and “Living for Love”). One of his massive hits was John Legend’s “All of Me,” which earned RIAA’s 13x Diamond (Highest Certified RIAA Single in History) and won Grammy, Soul Train, and NAACP Awards.

    Recently, Toby Gad released his first holiday studio album, Piano Diaries Christmas. The album features original songs co-written with an all-star group of recording artists. Anthony Gargiula, Gavin James, Huntley, Joelle James, Jordin Sparks, Loren Allred, Marisha Wallace, Sam Ryder, and Victoria Justice are some of the talented vocalists who are featured on the record. When he is not in the recording studio, Toby is also the host of the Songs You Know Podcast. In each episode, Toby and his guests uncover the tales, creative processes, and moments of magic that brought iconic songs you know and love to life. Previous guests include Billy Steinberg, Jessie J, Josh Groban, Justin Tranter, Lindy Robbins, Loren Allred, and Marisha Wallace.

    On the 2025 holiday special, Toby Gad talked about his songwriting sessions with Beyonce and Demi Lovato, writing “All of Me” with John Legend, the moment he swore at the Queen of Pop, and previewed Piano Diaries Christmas.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jake-s-take-with-jacob-elyachar--4112003/support.
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    43 mins
  • D’Andre McKenzie TALKS ‘Squid Game: The Challenge’ + The Way Network | JTWJE Special #19

    D’Andre McKenzie TALKS ‘Squid Game: The Challenge’ + The Way Network | JTWJE Special #19
    Nov 24 2025
    Welcome to a special edition of The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast!

    Today, we welcome D’Andre McKenzie to the podcast! A Lee’s Summit, Missouri native, D’Andre McKenzie began his career as a Defensive Back (jersey number 29) for the University of Missouri Tigers football team. After graduating with a double bachelor’s degree in mass communication + Media Studies and English, D’Andre worked as an actor in the Kansas City metropolitan area before relocating to New York City.

    In 2023, D’Andre made his Reality TV debut on Netflix’s Squid Game: The Challenge’s first season. He wore the 288 jersey in hopes of beating out 455 other players to win the show’s prize of $4.56 million, the largest prize in TV competition history. While he survived in the inaugural game of “Red Light, Green Light,” he made it into the dormitory. Sadly, his luck ran out when his group failed to reach a unanimous consensus during the Dalgona challenge.

    Also in 2023, D’Andre McKenzie started the Way Network and The D’Andre Way. He covered major events such as the NFL Draft, the WNBA Draft, and the NBA Playoffs. His presence enhanced fan experiences at games and events by inserting them into the conversation surrounding the experience. He created channels on social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, and built a combined total of 20,000 followers and over 5 million engagements.

    On this special edition of Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, D’Andre McKenzie shared his experience on Squid Game: The Challenge’s first season, going viral on social media, and potentially competing on other Reality TV shows.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jake-s-take-with-jacob-elyachar--4112003/support.
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    42 mins