The model tells Closer how she handles life as mum to autistic children - and why their family is complete
From the outside, she seems to have the perfect life. But with two of her children having been diagnosed with autism – and their third child showing signs of the condition – Christine McGuinness admits life is a struggle.
The Real Housewives of Cheshire star reveals that having children with autism has dashed her hopes for adding to her family with husband Paddy, 45, and that, despite loving being a mum, daily life can be tough.
She says, “Having children is difficult as it is – let alone having children with additional needs. I can’t sugar-coat it.
"Daily life can be challenging – everything has to run very smoothly, and it’s a juggling act. Everything in life I now have to double, triple and quadruple check before I do it. There’s a routine and a lot of compromise.
“I could definitely do with an extra pair of hands. But for now I’m just doing it, getting on with it, trying to keep a smile on my face. We’re doing all right.”
CHECK OUT axed Real Housewives of Cheshire stars - where are they now?
Axed Real Housewives of Cheshire stars - where are they now
1 of 24Magali Gorré
"If you're gonna cross me, you'd better not cross me. You don't mess with Magali."Magali starred in Real Housewives of Cheshire in 2015. Although the housewife only appeared in series one and two, after shouting-matches and rifts, she definitely left a lasting impression on her co-stars. Magali even found herself wrapped up in a twitter-spat with RHOC star Ester Dee in spring 2018, when Ester claimed she didn't know who Magali was.
2 of 24Magali Gorré
Five years on, Magali is still living the highlife. The football-mum prides herself on her luxurious lifestyle, which she regularly shares with her 100k+ Instagram followers. Ahead of series 14 in 2021, Magali told Manchester Evening news that the show was more set up than viewers are lead to believe. "They ask 'how was your day?' and 'what's happening in your life?' and you tell them what's going on," she said. If you don't have anything going on in your life you have to set up situations. But I always had a storyline and something going on."It's not really reality."I was always myself but it looked like I was psychic because I knew what would happen."
3 of 24Missé Beqiri
Missé Beqiri joined the RHOC cast in April 2016 for series three, but by series five in March 2017, Missé had been demoted to a 'guest housewife'.
4 of 24Missé Beqiri
The model divorced her footballer husband of two years, Anders Lindegaard and got together with Jake Hall - yes, Chloe Lewis' ex from TOWIE. Missé and Jake went on to get engaged and have a daughter together, River. But it hasn't all been plain-sailing for the two reality stars - as Jake received a brief restraining order to stay away from Missé in December 2018. The pair are back together and co-parenting baby River and Missé's son from her marriage with Anders. Missé's was left devastated in December 2019 when her brother Flamur was shot and killed in South West London.
5 of 24Ampika Pickston
Ampika Pickston was an original housewife - joining the RHOC family in series one and lasting until 2017, when she left after series five.
6 of 24Ampika Pickston
After a long on/off relationship with partner Mark, Ampika revealed in July 2018 that she was engaged after a new whirlwind romance. Whilst Ampika continues to keep her mystery romance under wraps, she promotes her own weight loss company - Skinny Revolution throughout her social media.
7 of 24Leanne Brown
Fans were shocked when OG cast member Leanne Brown didn't return for series six in spring 2018. After an upsetting feud and long court battle with ex-bestie Dawn, Leanne decided to call it quits on the ITVBe show.
8 of 24Leanne Brown
Leanne still keeps her fans up to date with her enviable WAG lifestyle - and reportedly even has a tell-all memoir in the pipeline.
9 of 24Stacey Forsey
Stacey Forsey became a guest-housewife in series one (no - we don't remember either) before joining the cast full time for series three - six.She was demoted to 'friend' status by series seven.
10 of 24Stacey Forsey
Nowadays the artist-turned-writer promotes her lifestyle brand and book, Scrumplicious Sweet Treats: Gluten, Dairy and Egg Free, through Instagram. According to her social media, she's still great pals with Seems Malhotra, who still stars on the show. She's proud mum to a teenaged boy and girl and over lockdown launched her own YouTube cooking channel called Baking With Stacey.She wrote, "As the days get shorter, the nights get longer and the weather gets colder, there's nothing quite like a cosy night in with a heartwarming meal, so that's exactly what we're baking today! This sweet potato hash is my take on my mums recipe for a traditional potato hash, made with plenty of vegetables rich in bioflavonoids and succulent shin beef. Best of all, it takes minimal prep and requires minimal cooking as you just throw it all in one big pot and leave it to do its thing!"
11 of 24Nermina Pieters-Mekic
Nermina lasted just under a year on the hit ITVBe show before producers made her a 'guest-housewife'.
12 of 24Nermina Pieters-Mekic
According Nermina's website, the aspiring pop-star has begun a new chapter of her life focusing on re-establishing her music and modelling career in the UK and worldwide, whilst enjoying her suburban life with her husband, dogs and horses. Last year, the former reality star gave birth to a baby girl with husband Erik.**Who is Nermina Pieter-Mekic's husband Erik Pieters?**Erik Pieters is a professional footballer who currently plays for Burnley. He's also previously played for Utrecht, PSV Eindhoven, Stoke and Amiens, as well as the Dutch national team. As well as their daughter Alaya-Rose, who was born in April 2021, Nermina and Erik also share four dogs. Following Alaya-Rose's birth, Erik admitted he was worrried about missing the big moment due to his football commitments, however luckily that wasn't the case.He told OK!, "I was worried I could be at a game a four-hour drive away. I was so pleased I was there, because it was beautiful."
13 of 24Lauren Simon
OG housewife Lauren lasted an incredible eight series on the show and was loved by fans for saying exactly what she thought. Remember that squirm-inducing scene with Taylor Ward and Sam Reece? Exactly.
14 of 24Lauren Simon
We were devastated when Lauren quit the show before series nine. Her on/off friend Dawn Ward said, "Lauren has some personal stuff going on."Lauren's an amazing person, I am missing her to bits. I speak to her daily but she has other commitments at the minute that she needs to concentrate on."In January 2020 it was revealed that Lauren was back in the bosom of the RHOC family - yaaaaas - and, in the latest season, fans watched as she announced the unsettling confession that she's actually slept with a ghost. Uhhh, what?
15 of 24Perla Navia
Perla Navia was a housewife from series seven to ten, and was introduced as the yoga teacher of Rachel Lugo's husband John.
16 of 24Perla Navia
Perla announced she would not be returning for series 11, and wrote on Instagram, "And the time to hang my heels is finally here! Leaving the show was a difficult decision but necessary."I will miss every single person from the unbelievably production crew that make the show happen, they work endless hours to create the magic and peeps I take my hat off to you! Thank you."Since leaving the show Perla has stepped up her yoga career and launched her own fitness and wellness studio in her hometown of Wilmslow. In 2021 Perla had a chance reunion with Dawn Ward after the former 'wives bumped into each other during lunch. Despite their rocky relationship on screen, Dawn wrote, "Sat watching the England game and had the biggest surprise when @perla_navia turned up to say hello."I love this beautiful human being so much made my night. Beautiful inside and out!! #friends #specialfriends".
17 of 24Leilani Dowding
Page 3 model Leilani Dowding lasted just one season (ten) in the show but in her brief appearance managed to rile many cast mates, including Dawn Ward and Christine McGuinness.
18 of 24Leilani Dowding
Leilani revealed in January 2020 that she would not be returning to the show. In March 2020, she and her rocker boyfriend, The Cult's guitarist Billy Duffy, became engaged.
19 of 24Ester Dee
Czech-born Ester Dee joined RHOC in 2016 and shocked her cast mates when she opened up about her complicated love life with secret husband Jon Temple and fiancé Rob Lloyd.
20 of 24Ester Dee
Ester quit the show in August 2020, admitting she "hadn't been happy" while filming the last two series, and hit out at the "incorrect" editing. And, since leaving, she has claimed that former co-star Nicole Sealey was "not her cup of tea" after the pair became involved in a seemingly ongoing feud. Uh oh...
21 of 24Christine McGuinness
While she was never an official Housewife, Christine McGuinness made a number of appearances on the show between series seven and eleven.
22 of 24Christine McGuinness
Christine announced she was departing RHOC at the same time as Ester. She said, "I've got to make time for other things and with any time that I've got I need to spend it with the family and children."
23 of 24Dawn Ward
OG Housewife Dawn Ward is one of only two cast members to have starred in all twelve seasons of the ITVBe show (the other is Tanya Bardsley).
24 of 24Dawn Ward
But after series 12 finished airing on screens, Dawn announced the end of an era when she revealed she wouldn't be returning to the show that made her famous.In a heartfelt statement released on Instagram, Dawn said, "Everyone who knows me knows I'm all about my family, so I've decided that after 12 seasons on the show I would like to concentrate on projects with them."
Autism is a disorder characterised by difficulties in social interaction and communication, and the need for a strict routine or repetitive behaviour.
Twins Leo and Penelope, both five, were diagnosed with the condition in 2017, with Christine, 31, describing the stressful diagnosis process as “one of the worst experiences of my life”. She suspects daughter Felicity, two, may also be on the autistic spectrum and, if so, she will have to attend a specialist school, like the twins.
Christine says that finding out about her children’s conditions turned her life completely upside down. She explains, “Being pregnant, you have all these ideas of what it’s going to be like. But the dreams go away. There’s no spontaneity any more – there’s no ‘Let’s go on holiday’, or ‘Let’s go off for the day’. That’s what autism has taken away from us the most.”
But while raising autistic children can be challenging, Christine says that there are benefits to the condition, too.
She says, “Autism is a part of them, and if they weren’t autistic, they wouldn’t be who they are. There are positives to it – they’re all incredibly intelligent, which is crazy because me and Paddy just aren’t academic at all! Leo loves numbers, Penelope is incredibly creative and Felicity can speak so well for her age. We’ve got three little geniuses.”
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Christine spends her days as a full-time mum, while husband Paddy – who hosts shows Take Me Out and Catchpoint – has a busy work schedule. Last year, he opened up on John Bishop In Conversation With… about being dad to autistic children, saying that while he adores the kids, it can be “very, very, very, very difficult.”
And Christine reveals that she and Paddy – who she met in 2008 and married three years later – are incredibly supportive of each other during difficult times. They also continued to put on a united front after Paddy was seen “cuddling up to” Nicole Appleton on a night out in February 2018, and emerged stronger than ever.
She says, “Paddy’s amazing. It’s the little things he does. If I’ve had a bad morning – like, if the school run hasn’t gone smoothly and there’s been upset – he’ll know just by looking at me. He’ll sit me down and make me breakfast or tea, and talk to me, and we just have a breather before we get on with our days. Having each other has been all we can ask for.”
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And the former Miss Liverpool admits that they probably won’t be expanding their family.
She says, “Motherhood was the making of me – it was all I ever wanted, from a young age, and I’ve definitely become a better person. I’ve found a patience I didn’t know I had, I listen a lot more and I’m definitely more considerate of other people and my surroundings. That was not me before I had children!
“We originally wanted five or six, but I think we’re done. Not because I don’t want any more autistic children, but because our hands are so full, and it wouldn’t be fair for us to dilute our attention. They’re still so young – we don’t know how things are going to change, or whether things are going to get better or worse. It’s not what I imagined, but I wouldn’t change anything for the world.
Closer spoke to Christine at the launch of the Caudwell International Children's Centre.
Read more celebrity interviews in this week's Closer magazine - out now.