JoJo Siwa just confirmed she's dating Chris Hughes. We can pinpoint the moment her hand was forced.

Celebrity Big Brother UK stars JoJo Siwa and Chris Hughes have confirmed what fans have been speculating for weeks — they're officially an item.

The 22-year-old performer and 32-year-old reality star, who formed a close bond during their time in the Big Brother house, have finally addressed their relationship head on.

But there's a deeper story behind the timing of their sudden announcement, and we can almost pinpoint the moment her hand was forced.

You see, despite consistently saying they were 'just friends' a series of images and videos taken since exiting the Big Brother house created a mounting tide of pressure.

For weeks, paparazzi photos and leaked videos exposed intimate moments of their relationship, like kissing in a swimming pool while on holiday in Mexico.

JoJo couldn't escape being asked point-blank in interviews about the dynamic of their relationship again and again.

Listen to The Spill discuss why JoJo has finally admitted to the romance. Post continues below.

Navigating her break up with Kath Ebbs and the start of her romance with Hughes can't have been easy, but the constant chronicling of private moments was another layer.

Plagued by rumours, JoJo and Chris finally came clean.

They began dropping snippets of the relationship themselves online — moments with each other's family, cuddling selfies and beaming photos.

Then came the moment they finally admitted to the romance, with JoJo gushing about being "head over heels" with her new beau in a new interview with The Guardian, published on Monday.

She said Big Brother gave them the chance to clarify with each other early on that "No, this is a very genuine connection — we're not faking a thing."

When asked straight up, is their relationship romantic or platonic? JoJo was silent for a long time.

Smiling from ear to ear, she eventually said: "It's not platonic any more, and it's been a beautiful development, a beautiful connection, and I'm absolutely head over heels for him and he's the same way."

She continued: "For me personally, the happiness in my life just radiates off of me right now. Literally, yesterday, I was massaging my cheeks; I've never [before] been in pain from smiling so much."

JoJo said she knows people are curious and, given the public nature of their relationship, she can't blame them.

However, the pair have not always been so forthcoming.

@itsjojosiwa

🥺…I was gonna make a slide post of my favorite photos and videos from this last week, but TikTok made an auto edit and used the LIVE version of the photos… my heart is smiling so big with tears in my eyes🥺🤍 this birthday week is one that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I can’t quite put it into words… the best I can say is it’s been the most magical week of my life, truly the way it feels🪄🤍 I got to spend chill time with my favorite people, and also be on stage doing my favorite thing for a beautiful crowd of siwanatorz in Mexico. Wouldn’t trade 1 second of this birthday week for anything🤍 I feel so happy and grateful for the universe and the way it works 🤍🥺

♬ Ordinary (Wedding Version) - Alex Warren

Just a week ago, JoJo said that despite what it may seem, Chris was not her boyfriend.

In an appearance on ITV's Lorraine on May 26, host Andi Peters suggested Chris was JoJo's boyfriend and her response was telling: an awkward laugh and one-word, "No".

Elsewhere in the conversation, the former Dance Moms star implied that whatever relationship she and Chris have, it's not exclusive. Although, it's not clear if that has changed now, given her candid confirmation with The Guardian.

The relationship confirmation comes after Chris posted a shirtless photo of the two snuggled up in bed on Snapchat.

Chris plants a kiss on JoJo's forehead as she rests on his chest. "Sleeepinnn beauty," he wrote in small text.

Fans were sent into a frenzy earlier in May when JoJo shared a video of her performing 'Bette Davis Eyes' in Mexico City, except she changes the lyrics to "Chris Hughes Eyes".

"Omg jojo and Chris we are literally all rooting you, seriously made for each other," one user commented on the video.

"Still think this is wildest crossover, jojo siwa singing about love island chris hughes is so ridiculous," another wrote.

In April, JoJo and Chris sat down for their first joint interview post-Big Brother to tell their side of the story, firmly insisting their relationship is purely platonic — albeit an unusually intense friendship.

So, why is everyone so obsessed with knowing what's going on between these two?

Let us take you back.

Image: Instagram/itsjojosiwa.

The drama first kicked off as Celebrity Big Brother was airing.

Viewers accused JoJo of "[emotionally] cheating" on her Australian partner Kath Ebbs with the former Love Island star, as they shared a bed and formed an intense bond in the house. It was especially notable, as JoJo entered the house primarily identifying as gay.

JoJo has spoken openly about her evolving sexuality after first coming out in January 2021.

"I like queer," she told People magazine in 2021. "Technically, I would say that I am pansexual because that's how I have always been my whole life is just like, my human is my human."

In the years since, JoJo has primarily identified as gay and lesbian in interviews and public appearances, but her time in the Celebrity Big Brother house marked a shift.

In a conversation with fellow CBB housemate Danny Beard, JoJo said she'd been reflecting on her sexual identity while in the house, and no longer identified as a lesbian.

"I feel, like, so queer, do you know what I mean?" she said. "I think that's the thing. I've always told myself I'm a lesbian, and I think being here I've realised: 'Oh, I'm not a lesbian, I'm queer.' And I think that's really cool."

When coupled with her intense bond with Chris in the Big Brother house, the Dance Moms alum raised more than a few eyebrows.

The situation reached peak messiness when JoJo unceremoniously dumped Kath at the CBB afterparty, with Kath confirming the split on social media.

In a candid TikTok video, Kath didn't hold back, stating that "everything we saw transpire, the emotional cheating, the crossing of boundaries and the questioning of our relationship on national television was not fabricated."

Yikes.

Watch Kath's TikTok about the breakup. Article continues after video.

"Our friendship, it's hard to explain, it's just a really strong bond between two people, which is just a strong friendship," Chris explained on ITV's This Morning. "I think you can have a soulmate friendship. I think that's a thing."

JoJo agreed, saying, "I don't know any future of anything. But I'm really grateful for our dynamic that we have and our bond that we have. And whatever life does, life will do."

Speaking about the awkward break-up timing, JoJo claimed that it

"I was genuinely just going to have a conversation before and then it just led to another. They straight up asked me if I was happy, and I said 'No'," JoJo revealed.

According to JoJo, being isolated in the Big Brother house gave her unexpected clarity about her relationship with Kath.

"I was now in my own thoughts; away from everyone that I know; away from outside opinions; away from everything," she explained. "And I sat with myself and from that point on, I really realised things that I was okay with in my life that I should never have been okay with in the first place."

Image: ITV

JoJo went on to explain that the experience made her certain that she needed to "fix things in [her] life" as soon as she left the show.

"You have this experience that's so exhilarating. It's 20 days, but it feels like it's four and a half years. And the first thing you want to do when you get out is just exactly what you need to do in your life to make it as good as you can," she said.

Now, Kath has addressed Chris and JoJo's relationship again, hoping to put the whole saga to bed.

In a TikTok shared on Monday, Kath wrote, "shaking my ass instead of crashing tf out" with the caption "happy pride month".

The comments were, of course, all about JoJo, and Kath shared their own two cents.

"I am happy for JoJo," one person wrote.

"Same! This has nothing to do with her:) wishing them the best," Kath replied.

Another commenter said: "or perhaps move on? she has".

But Kath is doing just fine, saying "I think it's time you move, I have!"

Who knows where this will head next.

Feature Image: ITV.