Former Love Islander Chris Hughes talks about the benefits of ditching our phones, his own mental health battles and the near-miss his other half JoJo Siwa had
Chris Hughes shot to fame in the Love Island villa in 2017 (who could forget his ‘bromance’ with Kem Cetinay!) and has evolved into a popular sports presenter, known for hosting live coverage of horse racing and cricket.
Right now, however, the 33-year-old cheeky chappy is for the most part hitting headlines for his romance with American Dance Moms star JoJo Siwa, 23, who he met on Celebrity Big Brother in 2025.
Here, the passionate mental health campaigner chats to new about the ups and downs of a long-distance relationship, Palm Beach-based JoJo’s scary near-miss recently with a golf buggy, and how he feels about the Katie Price drama after her Dubai-based husband went ‘missing’…
Chris, you and JoJo said a tearful goodbye recently before you flew home. The long-distance thing must be tough…
I love being with JoJo and her family in Palm Springs, it soothes me. I love her mum and dad, and I spent a lot of time with her dad playing golf. But it never gets easier having to say goodbye. The separation doesn’t last forever, though – I’m flying out to see her again next month.
Would you ever move to the States?
My best friend was talking to me about this yesterday! I mean, it’s more complicated than, say, moving to the north of England, and my life and all my friends are here. We’re working on it. Who knows…
How is JoJo doing?
She’s great, except she had an accident recently after I’d flown back home. She fell out of a golf buggy. I thought she’d had a really bad crash, the way she described it. I grimaced when I heard that she had an accident. She flipped it over basically but managed to jump out of the side door. Thankfully she’s alright. She got away with a few bumps and scrapes. But these golf buggy accidents can be really serious.
She’s doing Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, isn’t she?
Yes, and I can’t wait to see it – she’s a little warrior. She’s already done the American version. I’m interested in the line-up this year – there’s farrier Sam Wolfenden who I know from the horse world, you’ve got the ‘Ibiza Final Boss’ Jack Kaye… it’s going to be interesting!
There’s so much love for you and JoJo, but you also get trolled. How do you cope with that?
JoJo is incredibly strong. Everyone has opinions, but when they get nasty, we’ll just scroll on. You can scroll through TikTok and come across a podcast where somebody’s criticising you, but my brain and body doesn’t need that.
Your exes Olivia Attwood and Jesy Nelson are in the news a lot. Is that hard, too?
Yeah, when you have relationships in the public eye, people are going to have their opinions. I think that’s something you need to accept to a degree as well. I don’t regret anything I’ve done or any relationship I’ve had though, they’ve all led to where I am today.
You had a ‘feud’ with Katie Price back in the day. What do you make of what’s happening with her husband Lee?
Oh, it’s crazy. I’m sure it will probably be made into a Netflix documentary in years to come. It’s fascinating because of the way the news travels, often via social media. It’s like we’re following it in real time. I do feel sorry for Katie. It’s not a nice situation for her to be in. Not nice at all.
You’re into horse racing, aren’t you?
I love it. I grew up racing from when I was eight; this is a life passion. I own a brilliant racehorse. I love thoroughbreds. When you’re riding one, you feel like a cowboy! And speaking of mental health, they’re amazing animals for that. There’s nothing like going out for a gallop to clear your head, it’s an incredible feeling.
Love Island has just started again. How do you look back on doing the show?
The show’s changed a lot since I was on it, but it’s still a great show. And this is already shaping up to be a big series. The new contestants will have been very excited heading into that villa – it’s a really cool, fun journey to be on. It’s nine years since I was in the villa! I still feel like I’m 24 years old, like I haven’t really grown up much in those years.
You’re talking about marriage and babies with JoJo, so you must have…
I must have in certain senses, yeah. It’s just crazy to me that almost a whole decade has gone by.
You’re currently involved in a campaign with Joy Stroll. Can you tell us more?
It’s based on new research that Brits spend over two hours a day doom scrolling – the equivalent of 12km every month, dragging their thumbs on their phones! It’s about getting out there for your mental health and away from your phone. We all doom scroll, me included. But I also love reaping the benefits of being in the fresh air and getting some exercise.
It launched during Mental Health Awareness Month, is that very important to you?
Absolutely. My own experience was with anxiety when I was 20. I was like, ‘God, I don’t know why I feel like this.’ I was so low. I didn’t feel good. I saw a hypnotherapist, and a cognitive behaviour therapist at the time, who I did amazing work with. I saw the power of conversation, of doing different things to make yourself feel better. And for me, exercise is a huge part of that.
What works best for you?
Walking. I prefer it to running or cycling. And these discussions around mental health weren’t a big thing when I was younger. Now it’s a part of day-to-day conversations, which is exactly the way it should be, especially for men.
We just tend to meet up, play golf and watch football in the pub. It’s breaking down that stigma. Now, if I’m going through a rough patch, I remind myself that I’ve been here before and things will get better. This is not forever.
Joy Stroll is a wellbeing movement from PureGym designed to encourage people across the UK to step away from their screens and replace doom scrolling with movement, fresh air and connection. Visit www.puregym.com for more.
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