CBB's JoJo Siwa reveals secret message to Chris Hughes was about sexuality and gender

16 April 2025, 12:01 | Updated: 17 April 2025, 12:47

JoJo Siwa has opened up about struggling with her gender identity on Celebrity Big Brother.

On Monday night (April 14th), JoJo Siwa left Celebrity Big Brother viewers desperately trying to figure out what she had secretly written on Chris Hughes' hand when they were caught speaking in code in the bedroom. While many fans of the show had correctly guessed it was about her sexuality, it turned out to be about much more than that.

During Tuesday night's episode, when Big Brother announced what had happened in front of the other housemates and gave JoJo and Chris a punishment, to protect JoJo, Chris insisted they had been talking about speaking in German and French - which was quickly disproven by their housemate, and fluent German speaker, Trisha Goddard.

Big Brother revealed that, after JoJo wrote a secret message on Chris' hand, she said to him, "It makes sense. Just think about it," which raised major suspicion among their co-stars, many of whom had accused JoJo and Chris of 'game playing'. So, to reassure her housemates that it wasn't a conversation about nominations, she said the "makes sense" comment was relating to her sexuality.

• Read more: Chris Hughes' brother addresses JoJo and Chris romance claims from CBB viewers
• Read more: JoJo Siwa's mum brands Ella Rae Wise 'jealous' of Chris Hughes relationship on Celebrity Big Brother

What has JoJo Siwa said about her gender?

Later, in the Diary Room with Chris, JoJo was asked by Big Brother to reveal what she had written on Chris' hand the night before. "It's something that I'm not ready necessarily to be open about or upfront about but it has to do with gender and how I feel," she began to explain.

"Let's put it this way," she started before turning to Chris and saying: "Oh God, this is a lot."

She continued: "Essentially you have female - I've met a lot of females, love them, don't feel like I'm them. I've met a lot of males, love them, definitely not them. I've met a lot of people in my life who are non-binary and these beautiful people, non-binary people are who I feel the most like."

However, she explained that 'non-binary' is not a term she wants to use for her self yet but said it's a feeling that's "confusing" her. For those who don't know, the term non-binary refers to a person who doesn't feel they fit into stereotypical gender norms and either find themselves identifying somewhere between male and female or outside of the gender binary completely.

JoJo is currently dating Kath Ebbs, who is non-binary and uses 'they/them' pronouns. During a conversation with Ella Rae Wise in the CBB garden, JoJo opened up about not feeling like she's fulfilled within herself. The context of the conversation has left some fans worried she wants to end her relationship.

Ella had said: "I don't ever feel like I'll be fulfilled in a relationship if I'm not fulfilled in myself."

JoJo replied: "I think that's something too that I have realised in the house. Like, I love my partner so much... the only thing is I don't know if I'm all for me and that's kind of what I realised being here."

On the other hand, some fans have argued these comments were simply because she's struggling with gender and nothing to do with the future of her relationship with Kath.

After revealing what her secret messages to Chris were to Big Brother, JoJo became tearful in the garden. "It's a great conversation and one that I shouldn't be scared of having, but I just haven't had it," she told fellow housemates Danny Beard, Jack P. Shepherd, Donna Preston, Chris and Trisha.

Explaining why she's scared of the conversation, she said: "I don't know myself all the answers."

Danny reassured her: "You're growing up in the public spotlight, you don't need to give anyone all the answers, ever. Even when you know them for you, you don't owe anyone anything ever."

"I think that's why I'm afraid of giving any answer because I'm not sure," she added.

JoJo Siwa gets emotional on CBB

Now, 21-years-old, JoJo came out as gay back in 2021 when she was just 18. Since then, the Dance Moms alum has spoken about how she's still navigating her sexuality but this is the first time she's addressed concerns with gender identity.

Speaking to People after she came out, JoJo said: "I still don’t know what I am. It’s, like, I want to figure it out … I don’t know — bisexual, pansexual, queer, lesbian, gay, straight. I always just say ‘gay’ because it just kind of covers it, or ‘queer’ because I think the keyword is cool."

"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," she added.

ITV have been slammed by viewers for airing JoJo's vulnerable comments about gender identity on the show. One commenter said: "Why on earth would they air this?? She literally just said she's not ready to be open about [it] and they thought, 'Oh yeah that'll get some views'."

Another wrote: "They shouldn't have forced her to share this so publicly yet."

Read more celebrity news here:

• Who is JoJo Siwa’s partner Kath Ebbs? How they met and when they started dating
• CBB fans "taunt" JoJo Siwa's partner with comments about "close" Chris Hughes friendship
• When was Chris Hughes on Love Island? Here's who he was coupled up with
• Celebrity Big Brother cast salaries revealed: How much did they get paid?
• Who is favourite to win Celebrity Big Brother 2025? Latest odds revealed
• What did Mickey say to JoJo on CBB? Fans want him removed over homophobic comments

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