Jessie J Was Asked About Channing Tatum's Stripping & the Video Is Awkward AF

Julie Sprankles

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When a TV interview is supposed to focus on a show involving young children, you wouldn’t expect the conversation to turn to an adult revue. But watching a video in which Jessie J avoids answering questions about Channing Tatum and his stripper stage show proves that sometimes live TV defies logic — and, in this case, can go from OK to super-awkward in seconds.

The tense exchange took place Friday, July 26, when Jessie sat down for an interview on This Morning to discuss her role as a judge on The Voice Kids. By now, most people are aware of the fact that Jessie has been linked to Tatum since October 2018. Is curiosity over celebrity couples understandable? Sure. Is asking about a rather intimate aspect of a celebrity couple’s relationship on live TV appropriate? Um, no. Especially not in this context, when Jessie was there to discuss a family-friendly gig.

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So, when cohost Ben Shephard tried to turn the conversation to “Magic Mike Live” — the male revue Tatum created following the success of the Magic Mike movie franchise — Jessie artfully deflected. “You obviously got to see it with Mike himself,” Shephard said, clearly making the singer uncomfortable. “That’s a performance that seems to be quite…” he started again, before being cut off by Jessie. “The opposite of The Voice Kids,” she interrupted, adding, “I think let’s stay focused on The Voice Kids. I mean, The Voice Kids is insane, and I have loved every second of doing it.” (Watch the entire cringe-worthy convo here.)

It goes without saying that Jessie handled the entire awkward interaction like a total pro. She could have walked out. She could have been far curter in her response to Shephard. But she kept her cool and simply circled back around to her current gig serving as a judge on the children’s singing competition.

Perhaps being a judge on the show’s third season, which kicked off back in June, has given Jessie a little extra refinement where making measured responses is concerned. After all, you must have tact, diplomacy and, most importantly, kindness when you’re mentoring young creatives.

As for her relationship with Tatum, Jessie isn’t likely to open up about it on television anytime soon. While the couple does indulge in a bit of social media gushing about each other from time to time, Jessie told the British newspaper The Times back in June that her and Tatum’s exposure to the media before they were ready could have derailed their relationship. “Chan and I got photographed before our relationship was even a thing and that created such pressure. We’ve needed time to get to know each other. We’ve just had our first holiday together, which was wonderful, but that’s all I’m saying,” she said, although she did go on to admit she is “very happy” in the relationship.

Just don’t ask her to tell you so on national TV, k?

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