Chris Hughes has turned down Celebs Go Dating after TV bosses tried to sign him for the latest series.
The Celebrity Big Brother star, 32, who grew close to ‘soulmate’ JoJo Siwa, 21, during his time in the house, was approached to join the lineup of celebrities but felt it wasn’t the right opportunity for him at this time.
It was reported that Chris would replace Christine McGuinness on the latest season after she dramatically quit following two weeks of filming.
But MailOnline can confirm that former Love Island star Chris, who has previously had relationships with Olivia Attwood and Jesy Nelson, isn’t joining the dating agency.
It comes after producers ween keen to recruit Chris as a last-minute addition to the cast, which includes Kerry Katona and Olivia Hawkins, following continued speculation about his close friendship with Dance Moms star JoJo.
But a source close to Chris told MailOnline that he had decided against joining the agency.
Chris Hughes has turned down Celebs Go Dating after TV bosses tried to sign him for the latest series as a replacement for Christine McGuinness – who has pulled out of filming
The Celebrity Big Brother star, who grew close to ‘soulmate’ JoJo Siwa during his time in the house, was approached to join the lineup but felt it wasn’t the right opportunity for him
Christine had already flown to Ibiza for filming with the cast but told fans she was ‘returning home to her family’ on Thursday after having a change of heart
Chris also denied reports he was taking part on social media, telling a follower on X/Twitter ‘nope’, when they questioned the story.
The Love Island star had CBB viewers hooked due to his close friendship with JoJo, who has admitted she didn’t want to return to America after adjusting to life in the UK.
Speculation surrounding the pair’s close friendship was rife during their joint appearance in the TV house and fans continued to believe there was more between them after JoJo dumped partner Kath at the show’s wrap party.
JoJo and Chris added fuel to the fire by spending last weekend together playing tennis, followed by an appearance on Monday’s This Morning, where they referred to each other as ‘soulmates.’
Host Ben Shephard asked JoJo if she wanted anything more from her friendship with Chris, which she replied: ‘Look, he’s a great guy. It’s platonic. We have a lot of fun together. I don’t know the future, whatever life does, it will do.’
Celebs Go Dating bosses are said to have taken advantage of the current interest in Chris and tried to scoop him up as a last minute signing for the dating show.
On Thursday, model Christine, 37, announced that she had quit the show because of the increased interest in her love life.
The model finalised her divorce from ex-husband Paddy McGuinness in October 2024 but the couple still live together for the sake of their three children, who all have autism, twins Leo and Penelope, and their daughter, Felicity.
Chris had CBB viewers hooked due to his close friendship with co-star JoJo with many convinced they were romantically involved. They have since clarified that they are just friends
Christine had already flown to Ibiza to begin filming the series with the rest of the cast but told fans she was ‘returning home to her family’ after having a change of heart.
Revealing the news on Instagram, Christine said: ‘I joined Celebs Go Dating with great intentions but have realised that dating on a public platform and the attention is brings is just too soon for me.’
Christine also said that she may appear in the future, adding: ‘They’ve said the door is always open for me which I’m so grateful but for now I’m returning home to my family.’
Hours before the announcement, Christine revealed she was soaking up the sun in Ibiza as she began filming the new series.
Taking to Instagram, Christine wowed her followers as she showcased her jaw-dropping physique in a tiny purple and neon red bikini.
The bold ensemble featured a plunging triangle top and high-cut thong bottoms, which she paired with sky-high wedge heels.
In the video, the beauty strutted across a submerged path in the pool like it was a catwalk, showing off her incredible frame.
Captioning the clip, she wrote: ‘They say Jesus is a man – God is definitely a woman. Just over here casually walking on water in my 5-inch wedges.’
When it was announced she would appear on the show, it was revealed that Christine would be up for dating both men and women on the show.
Christine was married to TV presenter Paddy for 11 years before they split for good in 2022.
She revealed how ‘difficult’ the break-up had been for her after the pair’s marital home, a Cheshire mansion worth £6.5million, was put on the market.
Chris also denied reports he was taking part on social media, telling a follower on X/Twitter ‘nope’, when they questioned the story
The model finalised her divorce from ex-husband Paddy McGuinness in October 2024 but the couple still live together for the sake of their three children, who all have autism, twins Leo and Penelope, and their daughter, Felicity (pictured in 2017)
Christine had already flown to Ibiza to begin filming the series with the rest of the cast but told fans she was ‘returning home to her family’ after having a change of heart
Ahead of filming the E4 show, it has been revealed that Christine would be up for dating both men and women on the show (pictured April 30)
She said: ‘I’ve never spoken about the reasons for our divorce, and I don’t know if I ever will.
‘It was a difficult time. It wasn’t something that, you know, I just decided to do overnight, or that we chose to do.
‘We tried, and, yeah, there just, unfortunately, there was no repairing it, you know?’
Discussing her appearance on the show before deciding to quit, the TV personality has admitted that she hasn’t ‘dated much before’ so this will be a new experience for her.
She said: ‘I’m really excited to be joining the agency, I’m going to have a summer of fun! Who knows what might happen? I’ve not really dated much before, so I feel like I’m doing a crash course!
‘I’m looking forward to getting to know the other celebs and I’m especially looking forward to the coaching side of things with the agents. I think that’s going to be good for me.’
