JoJo Siwa is "absolutely head over heels" for Chris Hughes

Asked if their bond is platonic or romantic, she paused for some time before she told The Guardian newspaper: "It's not platonic any more, 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."

JoJo dismissed speculation her relationship with Chris is a "PR stunt".

She said: "Clearly, you've never been around us. I won't ever speak for him, but for me personally, the happiness in my life just radiates off of me right now. Literally yesterday, I was massaging my cheeks; I've never [before] been in pain from smiling so much."

But the former 'Dance Moms' star can understand why people are fascinated by her and 32-year-old Chris.

She said: "People can see our chemistry, and they got to see it develop.

"I think everyone's just curious, and I can't blame them."

The 22-year-old star admitted she feels happier than ever and hailed meeting Chris as the "best thing" to ever happen to her.

She said of her newfound happiness: "Ever since 'Big Brother', genuinely. Even my family is like, 'What happened in there?'

"You know when you're alone, how you feel? You are your true, raw self. I've obviously felt like that before, but never around one single person."

Just a week before she entered the 'Big Brother' house, JoJo had an overwhelming feeling that the show would be transformative for her, she just hadn't expected the impact wouldn't have just been on her career.

She told her mom and manager Jessalynn: "Something feels different. I don't think I'm gonna win, but I think I'm gonna change."

She reflected: "Little did I know it was going to change my personal life so much. By a landslide, it is the best thing that's ever happened to me."

JoJo was in a relationship with non-binary Kath Ebbs when she entered the house, but their relationship ended at the 'Celebrity Big Brother' wrap party and while she now identifies as "queer", she believes sexuality is fluid.

She said: "Queer encompasses how I am, and who I am.

"There's a lot of different sexual identities. I think there's nothing more beautiful than somebody discovering themselves."