Celebrity Big Brother‘s Danny Beard has weighed in on Chris Hughes‘ relationship with JoJo Siwa after the pair’s flirty antics raised eyebrows in the house.
Danny, 32, finished in second place to Jack P. Shepherd during Friday’s final, with JoJo coming in third and Chris out in sixth place.
Since JoJo, 21, and Chris, 32, left the house, fans have continued to speculate about their relationship – with the pair insisting they are ‘platonic soulmates’ after JoJo dumped her partner Kath Ebbs within hours of the show ending.
Speaking to MailOnline about their take on the pair, Danny – who uses he/they pronouns – admitted they didn’t understand the obsession, saying they were ‘glad they had each other’ in the house.
One cause of contention, however, was how fellow housemate Ella Rae Wise came across – with many viewers having stated they thought the TOWIE star, 24, was ‘jealous’ of the pair.
‘I think it came across like that because that was seed that Chris sowed,’ Danny mused. ‘But Ella wasn’t jealous. I think she was wary of Chris. I think she’d had a conversation before she got in with someone who warned her about Chris.’
Danny continued: ‘I don’t think there was any jealousy, and I lived with Ella 24/7. She’s a nice girl. She’s a sensitive girl. She’s a young girl.
‘People compared her to JoJo, “Well JoJo is only 21 and she wasn’t like that,” but JoJo’s worked since she was five! Ella’s been thrown into the spotlight in the last five or six years.
‘Her whole world revolves around looking and feeling glamorous. She was horrendously bullied at school, so was I. I empathise with those with those thoughts and feelings.
‘I’ve just been able to be reflective and have different experiences in my life. That’s led me to a point where those feelings don’t resurface, you know? Or if they do, I can almost switch them off. I can reason with myself.
‘Ella’s not there yet, we’re all on the journey. Everyone’s at a different point in the life, so I felt a little bit like she was thrown under the bus.’
Asked what they thought about Chris and JoJo’s relationship now, Danny shared: ‘I think whatever they want to do is between them – if they want to remain friends, or if they never want to speak to each other again, that’s between them.
‘I don’t get the fascination! Leave them to it.’
Revealing that they planned on visiting JoJo in the States soon, Danny continued: ‘This girl has been working since she was five and she’s got an amazing head on her shoulders.
‘Chris was there for her and she needed him, and I think he needed her. So for them to have each other as friends, however weird it may look to other people, let them have fun.’
Amid ongoing fascination about Chris and JoJo’s bond, Chris has defended the 11-year age gap between the pair, hitting back at a troll who called their friendship ‘inappropriate’.
Upon leaving the ITV reality show, the pair spent the weekend enjoying ‘Sunday massages’ and walks in the park, they also enjoyed a game of tennis together, with the dancer taking to Instagram to share snaps from their day out.
However, the duo have been hit with criticism over their friendship and one commenter quipped: ‘Damn this is inappropriate.’
Hitting back, Chris explained: ‘I have friends who are 50+ too, you weirdo.’
JoJo jetted home to the US on Monday, reportedly wearing Chris’ ‘clothes’ as she left him ‘heartbroken’ just hours after their first joint interview following Celebrity Big Brother.
During their appearance on This Morning earlier in the day, JoJo confirmed she’d be leaving the UK despite previously hinting at her desire to stay.
‘I leave tonight, well, today I leave in an hour’ she said mournfully, to which Chris replied: ‘Sad times’ and branded the news ‘heartbreak hotel’.
Earlier in the interview the pair confirmed their relationship as a ‘platonic soul mate friendship’ following weeks of speculation.
Chrissaid: ‘Our friendship is, it’s hard to explain. It’s just a really strong bond. A strong friendship. You can have a soul mate friendship. I think that’s a thing.’
Host Ben Shephard asked if she wanted anything more, to which JoJo said: ‘Look, he’s a great guy. It’s platonic. We have a lot of fun together. I don’t know the future, whatever life does, it will do.’
JoJo also revealed more details about her split from former partner Kath, saying: ‘Honestly when I went into the house, day one was fun, day two fun, but then day three I was in my own thoughts, away from everyone I know and outside opinions.
‘I sat with myself and really realised things I was okay with in my life I never should have been okay with. So many things.
‘Obviously I wanted to hold them inside, didn’t want to air it out publicly. There were things I knew I shouldn’t be okay with and I’m not happy.
‘I knew as soon as I got out I wanted to fix things and make the changes I needed to make.
‘The first thing you want to do is exactly what you need to make it as good as you can.’
Recounting how the pair ended things at the show’s wrap party, she elaborated: ‘I’ll be honest, that was not a plan or my intention. It wasn’t supposed to happen like that.
‘They weren’t going to come, then an hour into the party they attended, one thing lead to another, they asked if I was happy and I said no. The conversation took place there.’
After touching down in Los Angeles, JoJo looked in great spirits as she as seen beaming besides her mum as she wheeled her suitcases while wearing the pink beanie hat and shades.
However while the singer couldn’t wipe the smile off her face as she made her way through the airport, JoJo later confessed she was left in tears after returning home as she reflected on her ‘amazing’ experience on the ITV reality show.
Sharing a video compilation of her best bits in the Big Brother house, the star took to Instagram with a very emotional message.
She began: ‘Quite emotional today as I’ve landed back in LA, saying goodbye to the UK, and one of my favorite things that I’ve ever done in my life.
‘The last 20 days I’ve faced some of the highest highs and lowest lows and it’s so crazy to think that all of them were public, but it’s honestly quite a beautiful thing.’
She continued in her Instagram caption: ‘So very grateful for the love and support I received from you while I was in the house.
‘Being so vulnerable and not know what the world will do or say was scary, but coming out of the house and seeing the absolute outpour of love and support that happened while I was in there was just wild and made me cry with tears of happiness.
‘It makes me very emotional and just means so much. Thank you.’
She added: ‘I’ve learned so much about my self in the Big Brother House and wouldn’t change a thing about the journey. I wish I could go back in time and live it over and over again.’
Paying tribute to her housemates she penned: ‘To my perfectly dysfunctional functional family from inside the house…. Gosh do I love you guys.
‘Thank you for becoming family, for all the good cooking, all the good chats, every laugh, every dance step, every hug, every cry, everything.
‘This wouldn’t have been the same with any other people, so happy to have you all in my life for ever now.’
‘Special shout to Christopher, Jack, Donna, Chesatron, and Danny… my sweetest fellow finalists, getting to know you all the most, I’m gonna miss the absolute ship out of you.
‘I’d cry to hear one more time “STOP IT” from Donna, one more Rat song from Jack, one more hug from Chesatron, one more song from Danny, and one more “mmmm” from Chris.
‘When it was the six of us it really felt like a home, I’ll never forget the people you are and how much I love you guys.’
Coming to an emotional conclusion she finished: ‘Been crying while trying to write this message so I’m gonna end it now, but truly an absolutely amazing time that I have nothing but the most love and gratitude for. Thank you again. Love Joelle’.
