She’s arguably one of the world’s most successful child stars of the 21st century.
Jojo Siwa became a reality TV star at just nine-years-old, presided over a billion-dollar business at 15 and by 16, sold out London’s O2 Arena.
The now 22-year-old, who boasts 45.9million followers on TikTok, gained scores of new fans earlier this year after appearing on Celebrity Big Brother and confirming her relationship with fellow contestant and former Love Island-er Chris Hughes.
But the dancer-turned-entertainer-turned-singer has also faced cruel backlash since the show for her moves.
In videos posted on the social media platform, offering followers a glimpse of her day-to-day life performing and training, users have mocked her technique, distastefully suggesting she ‘can’t dance’.
‘Isn’t she supposed to be a professional dancer?’, one wrote.
‘For someone who’s danced their whole life I’ve seen people who don’t dance do this better,’ another said.
Jojo—who is from Omaha in Nebraska, US—has long been open about she deals with the learning difficulty dyslexia.
Jojo Siwa became a reality TV star at just nine-years-old, presided over a billion-dollar business at 15 and by 16, sold out London ‘s O2 Arena
The now 22-year-old, who boasts 45.9million followers on TikTok , gained scores of new fans earlier this year after appearing on Celebrity Big Brother and confirming her relationship with fellow contestant and former Love Island-er Chris Hughes
But, research has also suggested her dyslexia—which causes sufferers to frequently spell and read words wrong and is known to run in families—can also affect dancing.
According to the British Dyslexia Association, these issues mean that ‘movement can take time to “settle” into the body and muscle memory.’
Aside from impacting the ability to memorise and recall sequences of steps or movements—crucial for learning and performing choreography—it may also affect spatial awareness.
In the first episode of her podcast ‘Jojo Siwa Now’, she said: ‘Letters that are similar, I get a little confused.
‘It’s not bad. I can read, I can write, so it’s nothing that’s hard for me to deal with.’
She added: ‘Because my brain doesn’t register which way that ‘d’ or ‘b’ is supposed to go, they just look the same.’
Research has also suggested that those with dyslexia, often also have dyspraxia.
Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), also known as dyspraxia, is a common condition that begins in childhood and can make it difficult to perform motor skills and co-ordination.
The dancer-turned-entertainer-turned-singer, has also faced cruel backlash since the show for her moves. Pictured, in 2019
JoJo has sparked a social media frenzy since she confirmed she is dating Chris Hughes. Before confirming their romance, JoJo and Chris played coy over their relationship status—despite numerous cosy public outings
Diagnosis of Dyspraxia or DCD is usually done through a series of tests carried out at a hospital.
It isn’t the first time, however, Jojo has been trolled for her expressive moves.
Last year, she was slated by some fans for her over-the-top moves and head bashing but in response told her podcast: ‘I don’t think I’m a good dancer, I don’t think I’m a good singer. People saying s***, I’m like ok you’re not telling me anything I’ve not already told myself.’
Some well-known dancers, however, have attested their success to dyslexia.
In a 2018 interview, Darcey Bussell DBE, former Principal dancer at the Royal Ballet and ex Strictly Come Dancing judge said she had no regrets about being dyslexic at all.
As well as driving her to work harder, she argued that dyslexia helped her to channel her creativity and skills into areas she excelled at.
Intelligence is not affected by dyslexia — but people with the learning difficulty can struggle in school unless offered additional support.
Dyslexia is tricky to diagnose early as some signs, like making frequent spelling or pronunciation mistakes, occur normally as children learn to read and write.
Last year, she was slated by some fans for her over-the-top moves and head bashing but in response told her podcast: ‘I don’t think I’m a good dancer, I don’t think I’m a good singer. People saying s***, I’m like ok you’re not telling me anything I’ve not already told myself.’ Pictured, in 2015
Most children with the learning difficulty are only spotted in primary school but some people with the condition are missed until well into adulthood.
The NHS suggests that parents concerned about their child’s reading and writing should talk to their teacher first, then consider seeking advice from a GP.
It adds that adults can arrange for an assessment with the British Dyslexia Association.
It’s estimated as many as one in 10 Brits and in one in five Americans have dyslexia. Some sufferers hide their condition out of embarrassment.
Celebrities and historical figures affected include Orlando Bloom, Albert Einstein, Walt Disney, Leonardo da Vinci and Richard Branson.
JoJo has sparked a social media frenzy since she confirmed she is dating Chris Hughes, after they met in April.
Before confirming their romance, JoJo and Chris played coy over their relationship status—despite numerous cosy public outings.
In an interview with Capital Radio, JoJo said: ‘I’m sure it’s no secret to people, I am in a lovely relationship with a sweet boy named Christopher Hughes.’
She also gushed about her romance with Chris in an interview with The Guardian when asked whether things between them were still platonic.
‘It’s not platonic anymore, and it’s been a beautiful development, a beautiful connection, and I’m absolutely head over heels for him and he’s the same way,’ she told them.
