It’s been two years since former Real Housewives of Cheshire star Christine McGuinness shocked fans when she announced she and her husband Paddy were splitting after 11 years of marriage.
Despite not officially announcing a relationship since her split from Paddy, the 36-year-old was photographed kissing footballer and presenter Chelcee Grimes during an Ibiza holiday last year after meeting on ITV’s The Games, but they later unfollowed each other on social media.
And although Christine – who shares 11-year-old twins Penelope and Leo and seven-year-old Felicity with TV presenter Paddy – tells Closer she’s “really happy” single, she admits she would like to find love again.
Christine says, “Anyone I’ve ever dated or had a relationship with – even in my teenage years – I was friends with them first, and then it developed into a relationship, and that was the situation with my ex-husband. We knew each other for a while beforehand.
“However, this is the first time I’ve been completely on my own, and I’ve got time for myself, and that time is limited. I don’t know if I could offer enough to somebody to be in a relationship right now, and it’s not that I don’t want to. I know that I deserve love, and I love love, and think being around someone intimately, and laughing and enjoying adult company is an amazing, magical thing to have in your life if you’ve got it.
“I think love is a blessing and you should count that blessing, but I don’t feel I could give enough to somebody for that to be a relationship, because I’m at home with my three children most of the time, and if I’m not at home – I’m at work, or a charity event.”
The former Real Housewives Of Cheshire star’s love life has changed drastically over the last couple of years, but one thing that has remained for Christine and her children – all four of whom have autism– is their living arrangement, as they still share a home with Paddy, something she maintains is never awkward.
The TV star says, “I’m so happy that we’ve done that, I genuinely am. I don’t know how long it will last for, but while it’s working we’re not in any rush to change it. I don’t want to move my children into separate houses – I don’t want to be dropping them off at Daddy’s [house] for a couple of days, and then they’re back at Mummy’s [house], I don’t want to mess up their routine and, at the minute, we’re sort of in and out, and he’s so busy.
“He’s filmed three different TV shows at once, and he’s going on tour this year, so he’s incredibly busy, so it doesn’t make any sense [to get separate houses]. He’s at home a couple of days a month, and it works for us. The kids are always excited when Daddy comes back, and when Daddy comes back that means Mummy can go out.”
One big thing that has changed for Christine is that her dad, Johnny, has recently celebrated one year clean from a four-decade long heroin addiction. She tells us she is “so proud” of her dad, who at his lowest weighed just 5st.
She adds, “He started taking heroin about 40 years ago and didn’t understand the dangers, and obviously got addicted. For me, I’ve always looked at it as an illness, and for him to get over that and fight [it], he’s done incredibly well. I’ve always had hope and always kept hope, and always loved him, but now he’s 16st and healthy and stood up on his own.”
However, Christine – who will be back on screens on Celebrity MasterChef later this year – has made the decision to still not introduce him to her three children.
“It’s definitely something I want to do,” she says. “I just want to make sure that he does carry on down the right path, because I know with addiction – I’ve seen it with my dad – where he’s started to get a bit better and then he’s relapsed, and that could happen again. Fingers crossed it won’t, my dad really makes me believe that people can change, and he makes me believe that anything can happen.” But one thing Christine is determined won’t happen again is a trip down the aisle.
She smiles, “I think [getting married again] is something I would definitely rule out. I’ve done that, I had the big white wedding, and I was married for 15 years. It’s not something I’m in any rush to do. I only wanted to get married once, and I’ve done that. If I get love again in my life, I’ll be really happy with that – I don’t need anything more.”
Christine was in attendance at the TRIC Awards, at Grosvenor House, London.