Chris Hughes, 32, issues fiery nine-word statement over JoJo Siwa, 21, ‘age-gap’ row amid romance rumours
Celebrity Big Brother stars JoJo Siwa and Chris Hughes have remained the talk of the series following their dramatic stint on the show, which concluded on Friday.
Love Island star Hughes, 32, and US dance star Siwa, 21, formed a strikingly close friendship in the house, sparking talk of a potential romantic link just days in.
The flirty and intimate behaviour was seen as relatively controversial because Siwa had a partner while in the house and identified as a lesbian.
Rumours were given more weight after the American reality star split with partner Kath Ebbs as soon as she left the house, brutally breaking up with the 27-year-old at the show’s wrap party.
However, another element of controversy came from the pair’s age gap, with the 12-year difference seen by some critics as inappropriate.
The two have insisted their bond is “platonic” and that they are simply close friends, but critics have still taken issue with the reality star for even forming a friendship with the younger woman.
Hughes hit back at one such comment recently, branding one disgruntled and opinionated social media user a “weirdo”.
The defensive shut-down came after someone labelled their closeness as “inappropriate”.
Responding to the online comment, Hughes fumed: “I have friends who are 50+ too, you weirdo.”
In the house, Hughes was seen frequently kissing Siwa on the forehead and touching her face, with the two also in each other’s beds, hugging most nights.
During her stint on the show, Siwa concluded she isn’t a lesbian and re-labelled herself as “queer,” telling housemate Danny Beard about the identity realisation.
Siwa and Hughes appeared on Monday’s This Morning to address the speculation, where they were faced with questions about their relationship.
Siwa reflected: “Honestly, when I went into the house: day one, fun, day two, fun…”
Taking a brief pause as she addressed the Mickey Rourke controversy, she added: “Or not so fun, with ‘you know who’.“
“Day three, I was in my own thoughts, away from everyone I knew. I sat with myself and from that point on I realised things I had been okay with in my life I shouldn’t have been okay with.”
She continued: “I knew as soon as I got out I wanted to fix things in my life and make the changes I wanted to make.
“The first thing you want to do when you get out is exactly what you need to do to make it as good as you can.
“I was pretending things were great… It’s been hard, but I’m very happy with things now.”
Acknowledging the elephant in the room, Shephard asked the two about their relationship status, probing: “So it’s platonic? Would you like it to be romantic?”
“He’s a great guy, it’s platonic and we have a lot of fun together,” Siwa confirmed awkwardly.