JoJo Siwa, a former contestant on Dance Moms, is a name you might or may not have buried deep in your memory. That is, until the 21-year-old recently exploded back into public consciousness.
Celebrity Big Brother, anyone? But exactly who is Big Brother's JoJo Siwa?
Who is Big Brother's JoJo Siwa and why is she famous?
Back in 2015, rising to prominence on the American reality television show, JoJo was a cute 12-year-old who appeared alongside her mother, Jessalynn Siwa, ranking in the top five contestants despite being the youngest on the season. A born performer, she later launched a singing career with the help of YouTube.
What is JoJo Siwa doing now?
But now she's appearing in a very different guise, undergoing a public image overhaul. It all began a few months ago, in October last year, when JoJo jumped on stage at a G Flip concert, and began gyrating in the air.
The footage went viral on TikTok, with users commenting on the drastic new look: ‘What happened to ur rainbows and cupcakes?’ [sic], read one comment.
A visual focal point of this rebrand is the release of her new single, ‘Karma’. All eyes are on the music video, which has received over 18 million views (at the time of writing) on YouTube. The undeniably catchy, poppy tune features the mother of all transformations: Siwa in black and white face paint, with a punky, spiked-up mohawk hairstyle. It's an outfit Siwa donned in real life as she walked the red carpet at the iHeartRadio Music Awards earlier this month.
There is also a scene on a boat where Siwa appears to pay homage to her Dance Moms past, wearing an outfit of white, sequinned shorts and a bralette set during a scene on a boat, before diving into the water – a visual symbolism of her change of image? You betcha!
She has abandoned the heterosexual constraints that once defined her career.
The former child star identifies as LGBT and shared her coming out story with Entertainment Daily back in 2021. She has been vocal about her sexuality, wearing a ‘GAYEST PERSON ALIVE’ T-shirt for her G Flip stage appearance.
Accordingly, in the music video for 'Karma', she dances sensually and then simulates sex with a woman who poses as her love interest. However, she has got in an accidental internet spat after claiming in an interview with Billboard that she “started a new genre of music…called gay pop”. Cue a subtle side-eye from the band Tegan and Sara – identical twins who are both gay and have been active on the music scene since 1995.
Mishaps aside, it would be fair to say Siwa is currently all over the internet promoting the single release, appearing everywhere from Alex Cooper's ‘Call Her Daddy’ podcast (one of the most popular in the world) this week to a ramp-up in posts to her 11 million strong following on Instagram.
On the Call Her Daddy podcast episode, Siwa referenced her image change: “When I was eight, Miley had her Bangerz moment and I was like, 'All I want is to have that one day.' I want that'.” She alluded to then-20 year old Miley Cyrus' public rebranding from a Disney Channel star synonymous with her Hannah Montana character to a more edgier persona – which coincided with the release of her single, Bangerz, in 2013.
With a break-out single and a few memorable talked-about moments on the internet, it looks like JoJo is well on the point of no return in shedding her Dance Moms image.
Who is JoJo Siwa dating?
Siwa is in a relationship with Kath Ebbs, a 27-year old non-binary Aussie actor, presenter and creator. The pair met in November 2024 and were first spotted together the following month.
In an interview with People Siwa praised about her partner, saying “I am so happy. I am in a very mature relationship, and it's beautiful. It's taught me so much about life. It's taught me so much about love and respect, and it's a beautiful thing.”
JoJo Siwa's Celebrity Big Brother journey
If you didn't tune into Dance Moms back in the day, you may know JoJo best as the youngest of 2025's Celebrity Big Brother contestants.
“I think it's going to be really fun to live and try to exist with strangers who I feel like some may know each other, but I feel like I'm the blind bat going in — I'm not going to know anyone,” she said to ITV before entering the infamous house.
So far, JoJo has had quite the journey on the show since its launch on April 7.
She made headlines when fellow housemate, Mickey Rourke, said he was going to "vote the lesbian out real quick" and making other comments about Siwa's sexuality. He was later booted out of the house after “unacceptable behaviour.”
Siwa also developed a close friendship with fellow housemate Chris Hughes, who found fame on Love Island. The pair were caught trying to exchange secret messages and were punished by Big Brother, who forced them to communicate only through megaphones.
In a recent episode, Siwa confessed that she was “not ready” to talk about her gender identity — after ITV aired the conversation, many fans accused the network of showing Siwa discussing something she had explained she wasn't ready to share with the world.
The couple went public with their romance earlier this year.
