Christine McGuinness shares relationship status after brutal marriage split

Christine McGuinness, despite having a seemingly perfect life with three children, a beautiful home, and thriving TV career alongside her marriage to television star Paddy McGuinness, was battling internal struggles. The ex-beauty queen had an epiphany four years ago, at 36, realising she shared autism spectrum traits with her three kids, a turning point for the former Real Housewives of Cheshire personality.

She has since created documentaries raising awareness about the condition and parted ways with her comedian husband and Radio 2 host, Paddy McGuinness. Christine reflects on her journey: "I lived most of my life quite confused, wondering why everyone else seemed to be OK and I wasn't. My ­diagnosis changed my life."

Now embracing the single life, Christine prioritises her children—twins Leo and Penelope, age 11, and eight year old Felicity—the shared offspring with former partner Paddy. In an exclusive interview with OK! magazine, she reveals her current stance on romance: "I have absolutely no romance goals whatsoever."

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Instead, she focuses on her family saying: "I'm just focusing on my children and when I can find time for myself, I'll socialise. But it's not the right time for me to have a relationship, while my children are so young," reports the Mirror.

The curtain closed on her 11-year union with 51 year old Paddy in 2022, following their collaborative documentary, 'Paddy and Christine McGuinness: Our Family and Autism'. Christine also explored her own experiences in a follow-up film 'Christine McGuinness: Unmasking My Autism', where she demonstrated a natural charm, practical wisdom, and commendable candour concerning her diagnosis.

Christine has opened up about the complexities of being autistic while maintaining a successful career and personal relationships. She says: "It's a battle to try and keep it real and help people understand you can be capable of having a relationship and being successful at work, and you can also be autistic.

"There are areas where you need extra support. I wouldn't be doing everything I do without it."

Despite the challenges, Christine doesn't seek sympathy, stating: "I'm extremely lucky. Of course, it's difficult when you've got personal things going on and it feels like everyone, the cat and the dog has an opinion about your life."

Growing up in a Liverpool council estate with little expectation of success, Christine is thankful for her opportunities. She reflects: "No one ever really moved out of the area we lived in. No one was really ambitious. So, I feel grateful to have the opportunities that I've got. Yes, it comes with challenges sometimes, but that's part of it."

Her autism diagnosis came during the filming of ITVX's Strictly The Real Full Monty in 2021, though it wasn't public knowledge then. In the show, she bravely performed in bejewelled knickers to fundraise for cancer charities, despite finding it overwhelming.

Christine admits: "I found it really overwhelming because I was performing in front of loads of people. That was quite scary and I couldn't pretend that I was OK."

Christine found a new level of ease in this year's BBC2 series Pilgrimage: The Road Through North Wales, saying, "The Pilgrimage was a journey of self-growth. I didn't want to leave the group like I normally would when I'm working. I stayed and ate with everyone, and that was new for me."

Her quest for personal understanding led her to collaborate with LEGO to launch the inaugural toys featuring the hidden disabilities sunflower lanyard – an indicator that the wearer may require additional assistance or patience. Christine expressed her enthusiasm: "It was a real 'wow moment'. The campaign's about representation for us and the conditions we have. When I first spoke about the twins being autistic it was front-page news. I'd like it to be normalised.

"My diagnosis changed my life, but that didn't show to anyone else. By wearing a lanyard in those places that I'm struggling, people will recognise that I might need a little more patience or help."

Despite her split from Paddy, they continue to share a home. Christine openly states: "Together or apart, we'll always try and keep Christmas familiar for the children, because it's all about them."

She shared that they jointly raised over £10.5 million for Children in Need with Paddy's 300-mile bike ride on a chopper, and they maintain an all-year planner in the kitchen to manage their schedules without conflict.

"It's the same with family members coming over, we have to plan in advance to make sure no one's clashing and there's not too many people around at once, because it just upsets the children."

She reveals that her kids are blissfully unaware of their parents' celebrity status. "The best reaction I got was when I wrote a children's book that included autistic characters and they thought I was really 'cool' for being an author. I love how innocent they are and the fact they don't care."

She adds: "If anyone came to the house who's also on the television, our children wouldn't bat an eyelid. I don't go into details about my work and they've seen bits on telly of both of us, but never asked. I don't think they understand what a celebrity is! " And she intends to maintain their innocence.