'Living with Paddy is not a forever plan'

Christine McGuinness talks to new about her relationship with her ex, dating and her fears for her three children

- JULIE ANN TRAINOR

Christine McGuinness might be an exhausted mum-of-three who is navigating her way through a very public marriage break-up, but when we meet the star at the Me, My Autism & I exhibition at the gallery@oxo in London, we’re hugely impressed by her confidence and poise when she stands up and makes a powerful speech.

Since she was diagnosed with autism in 2021, Christine, 33, has made it her mission to speak about the struggles she’s had over the years, and how much sense everything makes now she’s had a diagnosis. In her recent BBC documentary Christine McGuinness: Unmasking My Autism, she looked for answers as to why it took so long for her (and thousands of others) to be diagnosed, and how things could be improved for girls and women in the same situation.

Christine’s journey of self-discovery came after her nine-year-old twins Leo and Penelope, and their younger sister Felicity, seven, were all diagnosed with autism.

When we chat to the Blackpool-born star, who’s also written a book about her life, Christine McGuinness: A Beautiful Nightmare, she admits that worrying about how all three of her children will cope as they get older keeps her awake at night. However she also proudly tells us they have developed “coping mechanisms” to help them deal with difficult situations.

Christine also opens up on how she’s making family life work with TV presenter Paddy, who she married in 2011 but split from last year, and says they’re still living together as they “don’t want to change anything too quickly”.