JoJo Siwa 'stepping into something new' as she reveals 'tough' part of Chris Hughes romance

Former child star JoJo Siwa has said that "it's time to find the woman" that she's becoming. She's teased that she is navigating a "new era" of her life, with the singer telling fans this week that she's now "stepping into something new".

JoJo, 22, rose to fame on shows like Dance Moms before appearing in a host of Nickelodeon projects. She's also pursued a career in music, with her debut single released when she was 12 and then four years later she's said to have become the youngest person to headline the O2 Arena.

In more recent years, the reality TV star has ditched the colourful outfits and signature bow ties that she was once associated with. Then, earlier this year, she was a finalist on Celebrity Big Brother and her relationship with co-star Chris Hughes, 32, has continued to make headlines since.

JoJo opened up about her life and career in an interview with YOU magazine that published last week. It included her discussing navigating work as she gets older, her sexuality and her relationship with former Love Island star Chris.

Following the release of the interview, whilst reflecting on an accompanying photoshoot, JoJo told fans that she's looking ahead to a future away from living "inside a sparkly little bubble". She suggested that it's "a little scary" though.

The photos that accompanied her posts showed JoJo in less colourful attire than her signature look earlier in her career. It included the singer posing in a white vest and brown skirt, with pink and blue lighting visible on a grey background behind her.

She wrote on Instagram yesterday: "Stepping into something new… and a little scary. These photos are different. They're bold. They're grown. They're me. For the longest time, I lived inside a sparkly little bubble - and while I love her, it's time to find the woman I am becoming #JoJoSiwa #NewEra."

In a follow-up post, JoJo continued: "This shoot pushed me. Not just to pose differently, but to feel differently. To let go of control. To stop asking 'Is this what people expect from me?' and start asking, 'Is this me?' The answer is YES. So here's to discomfort — it is where the good stuff lives. #OutOfMyComfortZone #Fearless #AdultJoJo."

Addressing fans, she wrote in a third post: "To anyone afraid to change… I get it. But we don't grow inside the lines. mess it up, try it anyway, and let the world see you. Here I am. Love her, fear her, or try to figure her out - this is me."

JoJo spoke in the interview itself about navigating her career as she gets older. She said: "Now, I couldn't sell out an arena if I tried. I mean, the goal of course is to get back there, but you age, and you change, and I'm not doing the same stuff."

She suggested that she's questioned if her younger self was "more successful" than she is now. JoJo however added that she's "proud" of her teenage self though for all that she achieved, saying that she has "got to give it up" for her.

Elsewhere in the interview, she recalled having announced that she was pansexual when she was 17. JoJo said she then "boxed" herself in by identifying as a lesbian. She suggested that she had felt "pressure" to do so, with the outlet reporting that JoJo now describes herself as queer instead.

The singer, from the US - who said that she considers sexuality to be "fluid" - also spoke about her relationship with Chris, who's from the UK, in the interview. She said: "I've been in a long-distance relationship before and it's tough, obviously, but you make it work." She however said they are "lucky" as they have careers that they "control".

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