How Christine McGuinness’ split from Paddy turned toxic with bitter £2.5m battle & new love… & final ‘brutalising’ blow

THEY were once the picture-perfect couple with a glamorous showbiz life and three kids they doted on.

But Paddy and Christine McGuinness's storybook romance ended in a shock split in June 2022 - before spiralling into a messy and bitter divorce.

Yesterday, it was revealed that Paddy, 51, had won a victory in their toxic divorce battle and will be able to keep the £2.5million mansion they both call home.

But in an unexpected twist, it was ruled that Christine, 36, and their kids could continue living in the seven-bedroom Cheshire home, which has a gym and swimming pool.

Paddy reportedly argued that he would not be able to afford anything similar, while Christine reportedly didn't want to uproot their kids from the house they grew up in.

Relationship expert and psychologist Jo Hemmings tells The Sun the ruling will come as a shock to Christine as she has previously revealed her autism means she "doesn't like change."

"I think it's a bit of a blow," Jo says. "The only thing I think is alright about is that she is going to be living there and he has access to it.

"Their three children, who, like Christine, are neurodiverse, are more secure in an environment they're used to. I think she's disappointed [she doesn't get to keep the house].

"But we know Christine has autism and ADHD. Paddy has always been this loud, big character. His career is not as successful as it was. I suspect he got very frustrated at that.

"When you've got ADHD, you sometimes have sensory issues. You can't have someone being too loud. She was probably dragged along to a load of social events that she had to mask her distress.

"I think, on an emotional basis, she's probably okay. On a financial one, she's probably not very happy."

Now, the pair will have to face the difficult conversation of sorting out the living arrangements, including when and how Paddy would be able to visit the home.

Jo says: "At the moment, while Christine is allowed to live there, Paddy can come and go as he pleases. That's clearly not going to work because she has her own private life to lead and he just can't come in and open the door.

"But [it could work] if they say the access is that, 'You come here once a fortnight or a weekend, I will move out and stay with friends. If it's very formalised, then it would work because the children will learn to understand.

"They've got to make sure that it's a pretty water-tight living situation. Otherwise, if it's left to be fluid, that is not healthy for any family."

Stand up swipe

The couple first met through a mutual friend in 2007, when she was 19 and he was 33. Two years later, he popped the question and they married in 2011 at Merseyside’s Thornton Manor Estate.

They share three children - twins Leo and Penelope, nine, and Felicity, six. Christine and their kids are all on the autism spectrum.

In 2022, the couple shocked fans when they announced their separation. While it initially seemed they were still on good terms, it appears that's no longer the case.

Recently, Christine was reportedly "furious" over becoming the punchline for some of his jokes on tour.

Last week, during his return to stand-up comedy at Blackburn’s King George’s Hall, the Take Me Out presenter wasted no time to get in a dig at his ex-wife.

He said: "Loads of love in this room. I don’t care what race you are, what religion, what your sexuality is.

"I don’t care how you identify. You can identify as a cat, for all I care. Put your litter tray in the corner, knock yourself out.

"Tonight, folks, we’re all here as human beings with one common goal — and that’s to help me pay for my divorce. I’ve had the pants down, me, the pants down."

While the joke was received with roars of laughter from the crowd, Christine allegedly did not see the funny side.

A source told The Sun: "She was devastated yesterday and was horrified to be a laughing stock. She didn't know Paddy was going to make her the butt of his jokes and felt shocked that he did.

"She has kept a respectful silence throughout their divorce proceedings and their marriage fallout."

Speaking about his jibe and her reaction, Jo says: "I'm sure, if she wasn't warned, she was really distressed. He hadn't done stand-up for a while. He did it in the first minute of his show. He mocked their divorce and their financial situation.

"She would have felt brutalised by this. It's a cheap shot. Is he feeling he wants revenge? Is he feeling he's hard done by? I don't know. But it's a really unpleasant way to start your stand-up show.

Toxic split

The latest developments is a far cry from the amicable statement they put out when they revealed they were going their separate ways.

In the write-up, they said: "A while ago, we took the difficult decision to separate, but our main focus, as always, is to continue loving and supporting our children.

"This was not an easy decision to make but we’re moving forward as the best parents we can be for our three beautiful children."

Their announcement came in 2022, shortly after a documentary about how they cope with autism was aired. Speaking to The Times, Christine revealed they still lived together despite their separation.

"We have a unique family, with four of us being autistic and one not", she said. "For me, I care more about how my life feels than how it looks to others.

"I don’t know how I would have felt if I hadn’t been diagnosed [with autism]. But now I understand myself and my children, I am quite strong in doing what I believe is right, rather than what society says you should do."

In March, Paddy also spoke about the new dynamics in their household after the split.

In a chat with The Sun, he said: "There's no toxicity in the house, says it all really.

"We have separate bedrooms because we respect that we aren't together anymore but, whether we work it through or we don't, what we do have is a really, really lovely family unit at home. We both love each other.

"We still hug and we're still messaging and phoning each other every day, we're just not jumping into bed together any more."

But it all seemed to have gone out the window when they each hired "pitbull" divorce lawyers to represent them. Christine opted for Catherine Bedford, who represented Ant McPartlin's ex, Lisa Armstrong.

Paddy, on the other hand, hired Emma Hately, known for her work with high net worth clients.

On how it went from their earlier sentiments to how the divorce turned so toxic, Jo says: "Part of it, I think, was living in the same house together.

"Another part was when they weren't together as a couple, it seemed that he didn't have the compassion (he used to have) for her. She's always talked about the children. But he didn't really speak about them - maybe I just didn't read it or hear it.

"I think it could have started off amicably and maybe he wasn't putting the effort into her or the children when they separated.

"If he was focusing on himself, that might be why it's turned a bit nasty and unpleasant."

The couple will have to turn their attention to parenting their three children and working out how they will both spend time with them.

Jo says: "It is easier for them now if they both sit them together and explain that mummy and daddy are not going to live together anymore, but this is still their home. They don't have to move.

"Sometimes Mummy will leave when Daddy comes and look after you for the weekend. To explain to them in a really age and neuro divergent appropriate way is a lot better than what they had during that really toxic period when there must have been rows and anger.

"When they were both living in the same house, but in separate bedrooms. I think that is really distressing for children because they understand what a parental relationship is like."

In an interview with Closer, Christine spoke about how her new romance makes her feel and a discovery she made about her ADHD and autism diagnosis.

"I met somebody on my birthday, we got on really well, kept in touch and then we started dating", she said. "I'm completely different when I'm comfortable around somebody.

"I thought the ''walking on eggshells'' feeling was part of my autism, but I haven't got that anymore."

However, with Paddy still having access to the family home, questions have been raised about how easy it will be for Christine to move forward with her newfound love.

But Jo hopes jealousy over Christine's new romance won't make matters worse.

Jo says: "I hope he's a grown-up, uses his emotional intelligence and is actually pleased that his ex-wife has moved on to someone she feels happy with and they'll work out a co-parenting situation together.

"He should not be interfering with her current relationship situation."

Although he claimed in March that he had only been on two dates since the split, Paddy also said he was not in a rush to enter a new relationship.

"As far as Christine is concerned, she would be happy if he sees someone else", Jo says. "That will make her feel more comfortable in her own relationship and less likely for him to be "hanging around".

"I think Paddy is really career-driven. I think he prioritised that. I think part of his problem is he struggled with his career and his profile in recent years.

"I suspect the reason he's not dating is because his self-worth lies in his professional success.

"I think his focus at the moment is on this very typical celebrity thing. You know you've peaked, you don't recognise you've peaked and you start falling off the other side.

"And you realise, 'How am I going to scrabble back up there again?' He probably won't prioritise his dating life until he feels his professional life is in a better place."

'Petrifying' split

Paddy and Christine met when she was just 19 - he is 14 years older than her.

In her documentary Unmasking My Autism, she spoke about her fears of being a single mother and how their decision to split was partly due to her autism diagnosis.

She said: "Starting life on my own is scary, I struggle making decisions. I was only 19 when I met Patrick and for the last 15 years my role has been wife and mum.

"When I was diagnosed, I set out on a journey to find out who I was. I have separated from my husband in the process, I'm shedding my old identity and finding out who I am.

She added: "'I've only ever had this one man in my life, I don't know what it is like to date, I can't imagine being single or with another man.

"But I'm going into a new chapter on my own which is petrifying for someone who doesn't like change."

Christine has also opened up about how her autism diagnosis influenced her decision to stay in her marriage and how she felt "safe" with Paddy despite being unhappy.

Additionally, the model revealed that she had been raped before meeting Paddy.

"My relationships before I met Patrick were not very good", she explained. "I'd say they were pretty bad experiences. Before Patrick, I had been sexually abused, I was raped.

"I used to pray every night that I wouldn't wake up in the morning because it was so awful. When I met my husband that was a time when I was very safe and I wonder if that's why I stayed.

"I know that I've stayed in a place where I was probably unhappy because it was safe and I don't like change."