Chris Hughes has grown used to defending JoJo Siwa.
Ever since the pair left Celebrity Big Brother and confirmed that their friendship had blossomed into a relationship, every aspect of their romance has been picked apart online.
Their age gap, their long-distance relationship, JoJo’s sexuality, even the singer’s trademark hair bows have all become fodder for social media debate.
For Hughes, though, one recent podcast clip discussing JoJo’s appearance was simply the point where he’d had enough.
After seeing Chloe Burrows and Love Island star Ope Sowande joking about JoJo’s bows, Chris fired back on social media, writing: ‘Podcasts have just become a playground for any form of bullying…’
Speaking to Metro, he admits it wasn’t really about that one clip.
‘I think it was just from scrolling through TikTok over the past week,’ he says.
‘I’d seen so many people have opinions on other people, which is just irrelevant. It’s stuff which doesn’t affect people’s lives, but I see it so often on social media.
‘I love a podcast, right, and I respect podcasts which are educational, which are fun, which have substance to their interviews. But there are so many podcasts now and it’s just girls slating other girls.’
He laughs as he recalls one comment that particularly stuck with him.
‘I saw someone write the other day, “Not everybody needs to do a podcast, and that’s okay.” It’s so true.’
The comment he posted, he says, had been building for days. ‘That was just the one I reacted to. I think it was just a build-up of me seeing so many that it was like the straw that broke the camel’s back.
‘There’s this Australian guy who does a podcast and they’re just bullies. He has so many podcasts about JoJo and it’s obsessive because her name is forever in his mouth.
‘I used to really enjoy the early stage of podcasts, when they were fun and insightful and educational and had substance. But now anyone gets a microphone and the internet has turned into a playground for trying to demoralise people for absolutely no reason.’
Despite all the scrutiny, Hughes says he’s constantly amazed by how little it seems to affect JoJo herself.
‘She’s an expert at dealing with things,’ he says.
‘Her mindset and her level of restraint when it comes to not reacting is genuinely incredible.’
It’s one of the reasons, he says, that he doesn’t like dwelling on negativity together.
‘I don’t like talking about negative things. I don’t like watching negative things. I don’t really go on Twitter or X because I feel like everything on there is negative and that has a knock-on effect on your own mindset.
‘We like talking about positive things. The moment you start talking about negative things, it just brings the whole mood down.’
That mindset has also helped the pair navigate a relationship split between the UK and the west coast of America.
‘I think people perceive it to be really difficult because the West Coast is a lot further away than the East Coast,’ he says.
‘The flight is never a fun one, let’s be honest, but when we’re together we have the best time. I absolutely love going over there and she loves coming over here.’
The pair have also found themselves at the centre of endless conversations about sexuality and labels, but Hughes insists that’s never been how they’ve viewed their relationship.
‘JoJo has said, “You’re attracted to who you’re attracted to.” That’s the way she sees life, and we all see life differently.
‘Our relationship works because we care for each other, we love being around each other and spending time with each other, the same way any other relationship would work. When you have a bond with someone, that’s the most beautiful thing about it.’
Although they’ve both spoken publicly about marriage and children, Hughes says they’re in no rush.
‘I come from a big family where having children and getting married is a big part of life and a really fun part of life.
‘It’s definitely something I’d want to experience. But when it happens, it happens when the time’s right. For now, we’re absolutely just enjoying each other’s company and taking everything one week at a time.’
For now, the TV presenter is keeping busy in typically eclectic fashion, recently teaming up with Pet Database to launch ‘The Microchip Shop’ on Brighton seafront, encouraging owners to check their pets’ microchip details and helping reunite lost animals with their families.
It’s another unexpected addition to a career that has taken him from Love Island finalist to horse racing presenter, documentary-maker, reality TV star, and now campaign ambassador.
Asked what people still get wrong about him after almost a decade in the public eye, Hughes laughs before settling on an answer with a little encouragement from his team.
‘Yeah, I’m very intelligent,’ he says with a grin. ‘People spend a bit of time around me and they realise I’m actually intelligent.
‘When you talk about misconceptions people have about you it sounds like you’re blowing your own trumpet, but I am quite clever.’
He remembers watching a debate years ago about whether reality TV stars could really be intelligent.
‘I remember the time Piers Morgan had a Love Island contestant on his show because he was talking about reality stars’ level of intelligence,’ he says.
‘Everyone has different levels of intelligence. We’re all individuals. Going on a reality show doesn’t define you.’