Jojo Siwa's 'Flirting' Has Us All Talking, But Why Are We So Invested In Other People's Relationships?

Jojo Siwa and Chris Hughes have been causing quite the stir on social media as their passionate platonic friendship has people questioning whether they’re taking things a little ‘too far’. 

Celebrity Big Brother livestream reporter Tommy Italiano said on his TikTok channel: “It does seem like Chris is into Jojo, but is Jojo into Chris? That is the question.”

One commenter said: “Don’t even matter if it’s platonic, boundaries are being crossed.”

Another added: “I would be devastated if I was either person’s partner, they’re growing very close.”

Chris is currently single, while Jojo is in a relationship with actor and presenter Kath Ebbs. Jojo is also notably a lesbian, but that hasn’t stopped people wondering about her ‘flirtationship’ with former Love Island star Chris.

With all of this in mind... Why do we care?

Is Jojo really pushing boundaries and how do we know what the boundaries are that she’s supposedly pushing? Are we projecting our own feelings a little too much?

I spoke with two psychologists to learn more about why we are so invested.

It is somewhat projection

Charlotte Braithwaite – BACP registered psychotherapist and coach explains that we use reality TV to make sense of our own lives, too: “When we watch couples on reality TV, we’re not just consuming entertainment; we’re unconsciously mapping our own emotional experiences onto theirs.

“Their highs become our highs, and their betrayals can feel personally wounding, especially when they touch on themes like loyalty, trust, or rejection that are alive in our own lives.”

This makes sense. Even as an outsider, my immediate thought was that I would find it very hard to see my partner being so intimate with somebody else on screen.

Braithwaite adds: “Reality TV offers a kind of relational theatre that helps us make sense of our internal world. We use these characters and their dynamics to explore moral judgments, test emotional boundaries, and feel a sense of agency - especially when our real lives might lack the clarity or closure we crave.”

It’s also just *incredibly* human to be this invested

Ashley Duncan, BACP accredited counsellor and founder of Spacious Place Therapy says: “From the moment we’re born, the stability and health of the relationships around us have an impact on our wellbeing. So on one level, it’s only human to have an interest in the politics of others’ relationships.

“But celebrity culture - and in particular social media - can lead to us having an exaggerated sense of our connectedness to famous people, as though we really know them on some level. 

“And so, if we think a celebrity’s partner might be being unfaithful, we feel defensive of them in similar ways to how we might on behalf a person with whom we’re genuinely connected - like a family member or a close friend.”

This is so true, and it is just basic empathy really, but Duncan warns that it could be a sign that we are ignoring our own issues, urging: “Rather than addressing the issues of trust or fidelity in our own relationships, which can be difficult and uncomfortable, we may project our anxieties onto whatever we see celebrities getting up to.

“When we see dramas and unhappiness in celebrity relationships, our own imperfect relationships may feel less problematic by comparison.”

Time for a little more introspection and a little less shouting at the telly...