JoJo Siwa Says Her Team ‘Discouraged’ Her From Doing ‘Big Brother’ Amid Chris Hughes Romance Rumors

JoJo Siwa is opening up about her fateful decision to appear on Celebrity Big Brother UK.

The Dance Moms alum, 22, shared with People in an interview published Thursday, May 22, that her team “discouraged” her from signing up for the popular reality show, but she ultimately went with her gut.

“It’s funny because going into the experience, nobody on my team wanted me to do it and everyone tried to discourage me from doing it,” Siwa told the outlet.

“But for some reason, I was really set on doing it,” she continued. “Right before I went in, the last thing I told my mom is, I said, ‘Mom, I think this is going to be the best thing I’ve ever done in my life.’ And I wasn’t speaking about my career, I was speaking about my life and I think I was accurate on that.”

Siwa struck up a close friendship with former Love Island UK contestant Chris Hughes, 32, in the Celebrity Big Brother house, and in the weeks since the show ended, the costars have ignited speculation of a romance. (Siwa broke up with her girlfriend, Kath Ebbs, after appearing on Celebrity Big Brother UK.)

Photos obtained and published by The Sun on Thursday show Siwa and Hughes sharing a kiss on a pool floatie at an adults-only hotel in Mexico. Hughes appeared to hold a drink in his hand as he leaned in toward Siwa. (Us Weekly reached out to Siwa and Hughes’ reps for comment on Thursday.)

The kissing pic came shortly after Siwa and Hughes fueled relationship speculation by sharing several photos of each other via Instagram. “This years birthday week was more magical than anything🤍🪄,” Siwa captioned a carousel of photos on Wednesday, May 21, many of which featured her and Hughes looking loved-up.

She continued, “Full of surprises, family time, performing, chilling, laughing, loving, smiling, and good meaningful cries. Absolutely beautiful, wouldn’t change a single thing🤍 a week I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

Siwa’s snaps included one in which she and Hughes hold hands, as well as photos of them sharing breakfast, cuddling on a couch together and Hughes placing his hand on her leg.

In an Instagram post of his own, Hughes shared a pic of he and Siwa hanging out in a pool. “The previous 7 days have been the prettiest.. 😊💫🎂,” he captioned the Tuesday, May 20, post, which featured more snaps of Hughes with Siwa and her family.

Siwa and Hughes previously described their friendship as strictly “platonic” in an interview on the U.K.’s This Morning talk show.

Earlier this month, the “Karma” singer reiterated that she and Hughes were strictly friends in her Us Weekly digital cover interview. “We still speak all the time, obviously, naturally,” she shared. “No, to be out of the house, we just exist, and it is what it is. We’re happy, and we have each other. It’s a great little special friendship that we have.”