Chris Hughes backs Jesy Nelson’s decision to quit Little Mix

Chris Hughes has backed Jesy Nelson’s decision to quit Little Mix – as being in the world famous girl group put pressure on her.

The former Love Island star, 28, told MailOnline him and Jesy, 29, who went their separate ways last April, didn’t have a ‘stereotypical breakup’ as they’re still good friends with ‘no reason to dislike each other.’

Jesy even gave Chris the green light to mock their split in a new promotional video he stars in for sofa brand Snug, where he jokes ‘breakups can get messy, I should know…’ 

When asked about Jesy’s departure from Little Mix, Chris said: ‘All that stuff, it puts pressure on you and puts pressure on everything and you’ve got to do what’s right for you.

‘She’s still a good friend but you’ve got to look after yourself as well. I feel like career wise it’s nothing really to do with me but as a whole it’s so important, you’ve got to look after yourself and focus on yourself and I’m sure she will do well with whatever industry she decides to go down.

‘She will smash it no doubt – she’s a very talented girl.’

The reality star has teamed up with Snug who are offering customers the opportunity to sign a prenuptial agreement before buying one of their sofas.

Chris is seen being stripped of his possessions in the commercial after going through a painful breakup.

He clearly got the lucrative gig on the back of his own high profile splits with singer Jesy and former Love Island co-star Olivia Attwood, 29.

Chris explained: ‘I told her about this advert because it was funny. She joked with me and said I’m going to be like Owen Wilson because he did an advert for a competitor sofa company – I’m going to show her it.  

‘We’re still good friends – we have no reason to dislike each other, we just went our own ways and that’s life isn’t it? 

‘I don’t see any backlashes. Obviously I’ve had a few breakups in the public eye and sometimes they’re difficult and sometimes they’re not. The beauty of the advert is that it seemed like a good fit and some fun.  

‘It’s so true, you do need time after a breakup – you need time to reflect and do your own thing.

‘Everyone deals with breakups differently but even with Jesy we’re still really good friends. We still support each other.

‘It’s actually really nice to come out of a relationship and to still get on, she’s amazing, and I get on so well with her still. It’s nice that we can still communicate and be in touch and have that… it doesn’t have to be a stereotypical breakup.’ 

Chris has stayed single following his split from Jesy while she moved on from their 16-month romance with actor Sean Sagar.

Lockdown restrictions have made it difficult for Chris to find someone new and he worries after a year of ageing in the pandemic that he’s no closer to meeting The One.  

He said: ‘I’ll be completely honest – I haven’t been on any dates, I haven’t seen anyone, I’ve chatted to a few people but there’s not really a lot I can do.

‘I feel like I have just aged a year and nothing’s happened. I do feel like from a relationship point of view I’ve literally lost a year. I’ve aged.

‘But then I think everyone else has as well so everyone else must be thinking the same. I’d love to say I’ve met somebody and I’m happy – I am happy – but I haven’t met anybody. 

‘I’m one of them, I like to see people in person because you really gauge a person’s personality when you’re with them and it allows your personality to flourish. I’m a person that does it in person – I like to communicate that way.’

Chris, who’s also had flings with former Coronation Street actress Georgia May Foote and Made In Chelsea’s Emily Blackwell, said he initially applied for Love Island after living in the Cotswolds prevented him from meeting the women he desired.

He explained: ‘Where I lived in the world, being in the Cotswolds, you don’t get the opportunity to walk down the street and meet somebody – well we don’t have any streets, you’re in the middle of nowhere, complete isolation.

‘With Love Island I was one of very few people that did the full application and applied through the website – nobody knew who I was, I didn’t get approached, I wasn’t asked, it was just an opportunity for me to meet new people.

‘It’s kind of like that now. I haven’t had the opportunity to go and see people or meet up with anyone.’ 

Snug customers can sign a prenuptial agreement when buying a sofa from their Cloud Sundae collection, in case of any awkward future breakups. 

Chris said: ‘I absolutely loved filming it. I appreciate the way the brand has bought out a sofa prenup for their Cloud Sundae collection – it is one of those things, people do split up, and sometimes it is good to categorically own it – it becomes helpful.

‘It saves arguments when things don’t necessarily go to plan, which is the way of the world in certain times. I love the concept – dividing up possessions when things go wrong is a difficult thing to do but this is a genuine service that can really help people.’

• Unlucky-in-love star, Chris Hughes, is the face of a world first ‘sofa prenup’ service from Snug, the Sofa in a Box Company. Customers purchasing Snug’s comfiest sofa ever, The Cloud Sundae, can now sign a prenup to help avoid arguments over who gets to keep it in the event of a break-up. Find out more on Snug’s website