Chris Hughes says the distance between him and JoJo Siwa is real, but he does not think it is as hard as outsiders make it sound. The 33-year-old said the relationship works because he and Siwa have kept finding ways to be together, even when one of them has had to cross the Atlantic to do it.

Hughes told the Daily Mail that the pair, who started dating after meeting on UK reality show Celebrity Big Brother last year, had seen each other every month one way or another before the last couple of months. “It is tricky, but it's not as tricky as people think,” he said, adding that if he can “jump on a flight” and get himself out there, “it is a lovely thing, really.”

That matters today because the couple is heading toward its one-year anniversary on Wednesday, 27.05.26, while spending it apart. Hughes, who has frequently traveled to the United States to see Siwa, returned over the weekend after celebrating her birthday and said the trip gave him time with her family and dogs. “That was lovely out there with the family. We played golf three days on the bounce. She's now a very avid golfer, which is so perfect for me,” he said. “I didn't think she'd necessarily want to play golf on her birthday, and she actually did. So that was like a win-win situation. But yeah, things are great.”

Hughes also said there are difficult moments when they miss each other, but insisted the distance has not been as stressful as people might think. “It's the first time I'd seen her for a number of months, the longest time we've been apart,” he said, underscoring how unusual the recent stretch was after a relationship built on regular back-and-forth visits between the UK and the United States. He said he loves spending time with Siwa, her family and the dogs, and that he has a great time when he is in the United States.

Siwa, 23, has been sounding similarly upbeat. After her brother Jayden Siwa's wedding gave her “wedding vibes,” she said, “Of course, it gave me the wedding vibes.” She also said the relationship is still new and that they are “getting there” as they creep toward their one-year anniversary. On marriage, she put the timing in Hughes’ hands, saying she will be ready when he feels the time is right. For now, both appear content with a relationship that is still young, still stretched across two countries, and still moving forward on its own schedule.