Christine McGuinness seemed to have it all – three kids, a lovely home, and a successful TV career and marriage to a star.
Yet beneath the glamorous exterior, the former beauty queen was in turmoil and she did not know why.
Four years ago there was a lightbulb moment for Christine, 36, when she discovered that, like her three children, she was on the autism spectrum.
The revelation changed the life of the former Real Housewives of Cheshire star. Since then she has made documentaries about the subject and also split up with comedian husband and Radio 2 presenter Paddy McGuinness.
She says: “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.”
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Instagram)Now resolutely single, Christine seems to have the world at her feet and one priority – the kids she shares with Paddy, twins Leo and Penelope, 11, and Felicity, eight.
During an exclusive chat with OK!, she says: “I have absolutely no romance goals whatsoever.
“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.”
Her 11-year marriage to Paddy, 51, came to a very public end in 2022, shortly after their first documentary, Paddy and Christine McGuinness: Our Family and Autism.
She has made a second documentary Christine McGuinness: Unmasking My Autism, which also highlighted her innate charm, common sense and admirable honesty about her condition.
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.
“That’s maybe not something anyone wants to shout about, because they want to look like they’re doing well, they’re independent.”
Christine is very grateful for all her good fortune and is not craving sympathy. She says: “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.”
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Christine McGuinness/Instagram)Born in Blackpool, Christine grew up on a Liverpool council estate where there was little expectation that anyone would be a success.
She says: “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 had been diagnosed when she filmed Strictly The Real Full Monty for ITVX in 2021, but it had not been made public. In the programme she stripped down to a pair of bejewelled, frilly knickers to raise money for cancer charities. She says: “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.”
She was far more comfortable in this year’s BBC2 series Pilgrimage: The Road Through North Wales.
“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 journey of self-discovery has recently led Christine to collaborate with the LEGO group to help launch the world’s first toys to feature the hidden disabilities sunflower on a lanyard – a visual prompt to let people know the carrier might need extra help or patience.
She says. “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.
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James Rudland/OK!)“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 their split, she and Paddy still live under the same roof.
Christine is not interested and what people think of the arrangement and says: “Together or apart, we’ll always try and keep Christmas familiar for the children, because it’s all about them.”
She said she and Paddy, who raised more than £10.5million for Children in Need through a 300-mile bike ride on a chopper, have an all-year planner in the kitchen containing all their commitments and they try to avoid clashes.
“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 says the kids are not fully aware of what their famous parents do.
“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.
“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 is pretty determined to keep it that way.
- Visit lego.com to discover more about the LEGO Group’s latest initiative.
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