Jake Shears returns to host third series of Queer the Music podcast, featuring Billy Porter and Rob Halford

Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears will return as host of the music podcast Queer the Music, with its third series launching on all major podcast platforms from 17^th June 2025. The new season, produced by Mercury Studios, will feature high-profile guests including Billy Porter, Perfume Genius and Rob Halford, alongside other names yet to be announced. The podcast continues to explore the stories behind popular songs within the LGBTQI+ community, seeking to highlight the anthems and personal experiences that have shaped queer music and culture.

Episodes for the third series will be released fortnightly following the debut, with the first and second episodes scheduled for 17^th and 24^th June, respectively. The recording of the new season has coincided with Shears’s live commitments, as he currently tours with Scissor Sisters, whose onstage reunion comes after a 12-year hiatus and marks two decades since their debut album.

Queer the Music, which reached number one in the UK music podcast charts and amassed over 175,000 streams across its first two series, brings together musicians and allies to discuss the significance of specific tracks. Previous guests have included Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Pet Shop Boys, Jessie Ware, Years and Years and Erasure. Songs explored in earlier seasons, such as The Power of Love, It’s a Sin and A Little Respect, have prompted both musicians and listeners to reflect on the role of music in LGBTQI+ lives.

In previous series, conversations have included Jessie Ware’s account of her brother coming out to their family, and Andy Bell of Erasure reminiscing about his experiences navigating the music industry as an openly gay artist. Bell described how “after a technical breakdown at a gig in Heaven, London, he developed this character on stage which continued to grow” and recalled his intention, stating, “I’m going to do this camp as tits person that’s not me, but an effervescent, over-the-top person, that there’ll be no question if you’re gay or not.”

Shears reflected on the evolution of the podcast, stating, “Since starting Queer the Music, my mission and vision for the podcast has shifted over time. Flash forward to the third season we’ve been making, and the show’s importance has really solidified to me. I don’t really view it personally as a podcast. I treat it now as an archive of queer music history, and I’m so proud of what we’ve made so far and what we will continue to deliver this season at a time when it’s more important than ever to elevate LGBTQI+ and other marginalised voices.”

Dan Borelli, SVP Digital Content & Partnerships at Mercury Studios, added, “We are delighted to be continuing our ongoing collaboration with Jake Shears as we launch an iconic third series of Queer the Music. Jake is already a trailblazer across the queer community in his own right, and there’s no one better to explore these incredible anthems and unearth the important and vibrant stories behind them with some of the LGBTQI+ community’s biggest stars.”

Queer the Music is available to stream across all major podcast platforms, with additional details about upcoming guests to be shared in the coming weeks.

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Queer the Music is released on 17^th June 2025. For further information, visit Jake Shear’s website here.