Olivia Atwood has addressed speculation surrounding her ex-partner Chris Hughes and former child star turned pop singer Jojo Siwa on Celebrity Big Brother.
Hughes, 32, and Siwa, 21, have developed a budding friendship inside the house, which has led to speculation among viewers that there could be romantic undertones.
The Love Island star reassured Siwa after she was left in tears following a homophobic remark by actor Mickey Rourke, days before he was unceremoniously removed from the Big Brother House.
They were subsequently seen laughing in bed while Hughes tickled Siwa’s back. Although the Dance Moms star is gay and in a happy relationship, their closeness has raised eyebrows among some viewers.
Most recently, the pop star was caught sharing secret messages, which she wrote out on Hughes’ hand with her finger. The pair were punished on Tuesdays episode (15 April) and forced to communicate only via megaphone as a result of the breach of rules.
The closeness has led some to accuse Towie star Ella Mae Wise, also competing on Celebrity Big Brother, of jealousy as she appeared scorned by their friendship.
Atwood and Hughes first met on the third series of Love Island, finishing in third place and leaving the villa in a relationship. The presenter said she has been tagged in “thousands” of posts asking for a response.
"I'm getting tagged in thousands [of comments] because obviously Chris and I used to date. We're going back like six or seven years, but we did,” she told her co-host Pete Wicks on their KISS Breakfast Show on Tuesday (15 April).
She said that the "clips look like there could be something there” but "I guess it's how you interpret it."
She added: "The internet is going two ways – the internet is going that there’s something there, there might be feelings from one side or the other.
"The other side of the internet is asking is Chris playing the game - she has a lot of followers, she’s very famous…"
Siwa and Hughes have been accused of “game-playing” while others have said their interactions have “officially replaced the moon landing as the most over-analysed moment in human history.”
Others have called it a double standard remarking: “If the roles were reversed and it was a gay man and a straight woman, people would see this as a cute friendship. This is normal and not everything revolves around sexual attraction!!!”
The Love Islander’s brother Ben Hughes said on Lorraine earlier this week: “I actually think that maybe they’ve formed a great friendship due to the fact that Chris stood up for JoJo. I think JoJo is in a solid relationship, Chris will know that and I just think that they’ve got each other's backs.”
