Get to know Jake: The host of Yoto Daily!

Many of you may know Jake as the writer, producer, and host of our podcast Yoto Daily, but did you know he was also a primary school teacher before joining Yoto? 🧑‍🏫

We wanted our community to have the chance to get to know Jake a little better, so we recently invited him to chat with members on our Facebook group. He answered questions from parents and kids around the world, sharing everything from his favorite dinosaur to the weirdest thing he's ever eaten!

Here are some of our favorites: 

My son, Benjamin, would like to know what made you want to do Yoto Daily?

I had lots of cool ideas for stories and activities that I used in school when I was a teacher. I thought it would be nice to share them with more children, so I started a podcast (Story Shed). After a while the team at Yoto got in touch, we started talking and then Yoto Daily was born. The rest is history!

Ronnie would like to know… what is the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten? Also, if you were a superhero what would be your super power?

Hmmm, probably when I ate creepy crawlies on holiday in Thailand and Cambodia! My superpower would definitely be flying - I would love to be able to fly.

What has been your favorite Yoto Daily episode so far?

Tricky one, I really love doing them all. I love learning about different countries through Five Fantastic Facts on a Wednesday. And of course, Friyay jokes!

What's it like where you live? Do you live in a village/town? James, age 7. Do you have unicorns where you live? Emily, age 4

I live in a smallish city in the north west of England, called Chester. It’s really nice we love it here - it was originally a Roman camp so it has loads of cool things to discover. I haven’t seen any unicorns yet - but I am always on the lookout and will let you all know if I spot one!

Jake, are you the one who invents new Yoto Cards? Logan, age 6

Some of them! For example, the phonics cards, the jokes cards, Story Shed! I also help make lots of other cards with my fantastic team.

What is your favorite thing to do and which is your favorite planet (apart from Earth) please? Sol, age 5

My favorite thing to do - oooh tricky, I love so many things; spending time with my family, swimming, watching movies, reading. Oh, and making Yoto Daily of course. My favorite planet is Saturn. The rings look pretty cool!

Hi Jake, what is your favorite pizza and did you like teaching phonics or numbers best? Matilda, age 5 

Mmmm, I love pretty much all pizza! If I had to choose, probably spicy sausage. I like teaching phonics and numbers!

How long does it take you to make a Yoto Daily episode? Bella, age 4. What’s your favorite dinosaur? Rafe, age 2

It depends on what the episode is but it takes me around 3 days to make a week’s worth of Yoto Daily. I love love love doing it! I think it has to be a diplodocus. I’d like to slide down its tail!

What is your favorite book for kids and why? Alice, aged 5 
 
Oooh, that’s a tough one. My favorite picture book is probably Paper Dolls by Julia Donaldson. It’s not one of her most famous books but I think it has a really lovely message about remembering the things and people that you love. I read a lot of Roald Dahl when I was younger and my favorites were Matilda and Danny Champion of the World.

How does it feel to be a daily part of so many families’ lives?

Ahhh, that’s nice to hear. Honestly, I love it, I really do. I am so lucky to do the job that I do and it is always so lovely to think that anyone is listening out there!

We hope you enjoyed getting to learn more about Jake! You can tune into Yoto Daily for fun facts, jokes, and riddles each and every day. Simply press the right-hand button on your Yoto Player or Yoto Mini to join in on the fun. You can also listen to past episodes on the Yoto App.

If you haven't already, be sure to join our Facebook Group where you can connect with over 14,000 parents and Yoto fans from all over the world!

Who would you like to see featured for our next #AskMeAnything? Let us know on social media, or send us an email at hello@yotoplay.com!