Christine McGuinness has opened up about her and ex-husband Paddy’s split, saying she finds it “petrifying” to start a “new chapter” on her own.
The former couple, who announced they were separating last July, are parents to twins Penelope and Leo, nine, and Felicity, six, all with autism.
Christine, 34, revealed that she finds the prospect of dating again very scary as she is someone who “doesn’t like change” and has been with Paddy since she was 19.
speaking to The times, she said: ‘I’ve had this man in my life for 15 years. I can’t imagine being with anyone else. I don’t know what it’s like to date; I don’t remember what it’s like to be single. I’m entering a new chapter on my own, which is petrifying for someone who doesn’t like change.’
But she added: ‘I’m proud to have made a decision and stuck to it, for once. That is not easy for me to do. But I always want to lead by example, show my kids that Mom is independent and works.
Scared: Christine McGuinness has opened up about her and ex-husband Paddy’s split, saying she finds it ‘petrifying’ to start a ‘new chapter’ on her own
‘Petrifying’: Christine, 34, revealed she finds the prospect of dating again very scary as she is someone who ‘doesn’t like change’ and has been with Paddy since she was 19 (in the photo of January 2019)
“I want them to know that when they’re older and in a relationship, it should be a loving, happy relationship and no one should stay where they don’t feel 100 percent right.” I did it, because there were times when I was very happy and I wanted to keep the family together.’
It comes after Christine revealed that her three children are still unaware that she and Paddy have broken up.
speaking to women’s ownChristine recounted how she and Paddy, 49, still live together with their children in the family home.
She said: ‘The children don’t know any different and are growing up in a happy and loving home; I just want it to continue like this.
‘We don’t know what the future holds, but right now it works.
“The idea of eventually co-parenting in separate homes is something I’m really going to struggle with.”
Christine, who has also been diagnosed with autism, often shares photos of her children on social media, but makes sure to keep their faces hidden.
The interview comes after the star admitted that he stayed in his marriage to Paddy because he felt “safe” at the time and “doesn’t like change”.
Speaking on her BBC documentary Unmasking My Autism, Christine said she felt safe when she met the presenter when she was 19.
But after her autism diagnosis two years ago, she realized she had masked her feelings.
She explained: ‘My relationships before I met Patrick weren’t very good. I would say they were pretty bad experiences.
‘Before Patrick, I had been sexually abused, I was raped. She used to pray every night that I wouldn’t wake up in the morning because it was horrible.
“When I met my husband, it was a moment where I was very sure and I wonder if that’s why I stayed.”
Christine said: “The children don’t know any different and are growing up in a happy and loving home. I just want to keep it that way.”
“I know I’ve stayed somewhere where I probably wasn’t happy because it was safe and I don’t like change.”
Earlier this month, Christine revealed that her BBC documentary on her autism diagnosis will air on March 15.
Sharing a promotional snap on Instagram, Christine wrote: ‘I can finally give you a date!
‘My new documentary… Christine McGuinness: Unmasking My Autism, March 15 on @bbc @bbciplayer.
“I am excited, nervous and proud to present this incredible short film that I really hope and believe will help thousands of autistic people feel understood, recognized and valued.”
It was first reported in January that Christine would appear in another BBC documentary, this time focusing on her own journey through autism.
She previously appeared on a show with her husband Paddy, focused on their three children, who have been diagnosed with autism.
Christine and Paddy were nominated for a National Television Award with their first film Our Family And Autism.
Husband: The mother of three recounted how her abusive previous partners left her longing for the safety she found with Paddy
“Christine was surprised by how autism is seen as something that primarily affects males and what seemed like a gender bias in diagnosis,” a source said. Sun.
“The second film follows her on a journey to find answers for the thousands of other women like her in the UK, who go years undiagnosed or mask their symptoms to the detriment of their mental health.
It has taken on additional weight as his first solo project. Away from Paddy, she’s been part of casts like The Real Housewives Of Cheshire and ITV’s The Games, but this is Christine, alone and in her own space.
Paddy and Christine took to Instagram to confirm their split last year, revealing that they would continue to live together for the sake of their three autistic children.
Christine and Paddy insisted that their education remains a priority.
In a joint statement, they wrote: “We had not planned to share this publicly until we were ready, but after the lack of privacy surrounding our personal lives, we felt we had no choice but to come clean.”
‘Some time ago we made the difficult decision to separate but our main focus as always is to continue to love and support our children.
“It was not an easy decision to make, but we are moving forward as the best parents we can be to our three beautiful children. We will always be a loving family, we still have a great relationship and we still live happily together in our family home.
On reflection: Speaking about her new BBC documentary, Unmasking My Autism, Christine said she felt safe when she met Paddy, now 49, when she was 19.
“We hope this will now put an end to further unwanted and unnecessary intrusions into our private lives.
‘Although we work in full view of the public, we kindly ask that you respect our wishes for privacy in this matter. We will not make any further comments.
A source told MailOnline at the time: ‘Paddy and Christine have given their all for their marriage over the years.
“Unfortunately, they have made the difficult decision to separate for the sake of their young family, which they will continue to parent together.
“It has been no secret within their inner circle that it has been a difficult few years for them as a couple, but they are still very supportive of each other and will continue to do so throughout their separation.”
Paddy shared a photo of himself with Christine just hours before the 15-year-old couple announced their split.
The couple beamed from Center Parcs Nottingham, where they holidayed with their children.
Top Gear presenter Paddy captioned the image: ‘Yeah! We finally got away for our family vacation.
He explained: ‘After discovering, three days before we were due to fly, our youngest daughter’s passport had expired, our holiday in Spain had to be cancelled.
Type: Christine and Paddy were nominated for a National Television Award with their first film, Our Family And Autism.
Note: She previously appeared on a show with her husband Paddy, focused on their three children, who have been diagnosed with autism.
“We had told the kids everything, especially the airport part, so suddenly changing plans was not easy. Moms and dads of autistic children will know exactly what I mean.
Christine previously appeared on the ITV show Lorraine, which was hosted by Carol Vorderman, where she discussed her marriage to Paddy.
She said at the time: “Marriages go through ups and downs anyway, all marriages, especially long ones like ours: 15 years together, it’s not always going to be a plane ride, but we’re trying to deal with the things of the most private way possible and we both want to be there to support the kids and give them an amazing summer.
“We’re going on a family vacation next week and we’re really excited about it and they’re always going to be our focus and they’re the most important things to us.”
