Quick Read
- Chris Hughes is competing on Celebrity MasterChef 2025 after a string of reality TV successes.
- He is best known for Love Island 2017 and recently appeared on Celebrity Big Brother.
- Hughes’s relationship with JoJo Siwa began in the Big Brother house and is ongoing.
- He has a varied career including horse racing punditry and a brief music stint.
- His culinary skills on MasterChef are unproven, with judges expressing skepticism.
Chris Hughes: Reality TV, Romance, and the MasterChef Challenge
Chris Hughes has always been a familiar face for British reality television fans. But in 2025, his name is popping up not just for his television antics, but also for his surprising turn on Celebrity MasterChef and a headline-grabbing relationship with JoJo Siwa. For someone who once preferred spaghetti hoops on Big Brother, stepping into the pressure-cooker environment of the BBC’s iconic kitchen marks a new chapter.
From the Cotswolds to National Fame
Hughes hails from Temple Guiting in the Cotswolds, a region known more for its rolling hills than its reality TV alumni. His first brush with fame came in 2017, when he joined season three of Love Island. Teamed up with Olivia Attwood, Hughes quickly became a fan favorite, eventually taking second place. Their relationship, however, didn’t survive the post-show glare, ending a year later. Afterward, Hughes was linked to pop star Jesy Nelson of Little Mix fame.
His career didn’t stall with the end of his romance. Hughes formed a musical duo, Chris and Kem, with fellow islander Kem Cetinay. Their single “Little Bit Leave It” climbed to number 15 on the UK charts—a brief but memorable foray into music. He later pivoted to sports, working as a horse racing pundit and even playing football for Bourton Rovers Football Club.
Celebrity MasterChef 2025: Can Chris Stand the Heat?
This autumn, Hughes found himself swapping the racetrack and the reality TV villa for the MasterChef kitchen. The series, which kicked off on November 17th, brought together a diverse cast: from musical legend Alfie Boe to rugby icon Alun Wyn Jones, and fellow reality stars like Uma Jammeh. Hughes was part of the second week of heats, facing off against broadcaster Dawn O’Porter, singer Jaki Graham, actor Jamie Lomas, and pop star Michelle Heaton.
What sets Hughes apart? Not his culinary pedigree, certainly. Judges Grace Dent and John Torode (in what would be Torode’s final season after a controversial exit) seemed skeptical of his kitchen skills. Even the show’s own commentary noted, “He’s not a stranger to the cameras, but we’re not very confident about his cooking skills. If we remember correctly, his fave dish on Big Brother was spaghetti hoops…”
That kind of reputation can be tough to shake. But reality TV is built on transformation, and Hughes has shown a willingness to embrace the challenge. Whether he can channel the competitiveness that made him a finalist on Love Island into culinary success remains an open question.
The JoJo Siwa Connection: From Big Brother Housemates to Partners
For much of 2025, Hughes’s personal life has been as much a focus as his professional pursuits. His relationship with JoJo Siwa, the American singer and dancer, has captured the attention of fans and tabloids alike. Their story began in the spring, inside the Celebrity Big Brother UK house. Over 19 days, Hughes and Siwa bonded on-screen, with viewers speculating about flirtations and genuine affection. At the time, Siwa was in a relationship with Australian DJ Kath Ebbs, but by the show’s end, the dynamic had shifted.
The aftermath was public and sometimes messy. Ebbs announced their breakup with Siwa shortly after the show wrapped, though Siwa denied Hughes was the reason. Hughes and Siwa appeared on The Today Show together, maintaining the relationship was platonic. But their social media presence—snuggling in birthday photos, sharing Christmas plans—told a different story.
By June, Siwa confirmed the romance: “It’s not platonic anymore, 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.” The relationship quickly became serious, with Siwa meeting Hughes’s family in the Cotswolds and Hughes expressing in interviews that he could see marriage and children in their future. Notably, Hughes also addressed speculation about Siwa’s sexuality, clarifying, “Joelle has been with girls all her life. She is bisexual. She’s not now straight just because she’s with me.”
Public Persona and Private Aspirations
Hughes’s journey from reality TV heartthrob to MasterChef hopeful is emblematic of the way modern celebrities navigate public and private lives. On screen, he’s been alternately charming, competitive, and vulnerable. Off screen, his openness about relationships and willingness to embrace new challenges keeps fans invested—even when the odds aren’t in his favor.
Does Hughes have what it takes to win Celebrity MasterChef? The judges and audiences seem unconvinced so far, but reality TV has a way of rewarding resilience and personality as much as technical skill. For Hughes, the kitchen is just another stage—one where he’ll have to prove himself all over again.
As for his relationship with JoJo Siwa, it’s a story that continues to unfold in real time, blending the private and public in a way only modern celebrity can.
Chris Hughes’s journey highlights the unpredictable nature of reality stardom. From Love Island’s sun-soaked drama to the intensity of the MasterChef kitchen and a romance that’s both tabloid fodder and genuinely tender, Hughes remains a figure who thrives on reinvention. His story is far from over, and whether he leaves the kitchen with a trophy or just new skills, he’s proven that adaptability—and authenticity—are the real keys to staying relevant.
