Paddy and Christine McGuinness' sudden split in 2022 rocked the showbiz world, but until now, the pair have continued to navigate co-parenting together in the Cheshire home they still share with their three children.
While Real Housewives of Cheshire's Christine, 35, has emotionally opened up about her experience as an autistic woman and how she had felt “safe” in a marriage that had made her “unhappy for a long time”, Paddy has so far remained silent. Yet last week, the TV star’s friend, comedian Josh Pugh, revealed that Paddy, 50, is piloting a new “mocumentary” about his life, adding, “It’s about his divorce”.
Now a source says that Christine – who shares 10-year-old twins Leo and Penelope and Felicity, seven, all of whom have autism, with Paddy – has been left feeling “humiliated and hurt” and struggling to trust anyone.
The source says, “Christine feels humiliated and hurt. She feels like she hasn’t done anything wrong but she’s now going through absolute hell. She’s in an awful place where she doesn’t know what will happen next or who to trust. She doesn’t want people to manipulate her vulnerability. She keeps a very tight circle of friends as a result and tells them everything.”
And with the reports of the upcoming mocumentary, Christine has been left anxious over wanting to have her own say, while continuing to always put her family first.
The insider adds, “Christine feels like she has to have her say. She’s an author and has already written children’s books, so she’d love to do a tell-all to share her side of the story. She’d also love to help other women out there who have been through similar experiences.
“But she doesn’t feel like she is free at the moment, still living with Paddy. She knows the situation has to change and it makes her feel anxious about the future.”
The family recently spent Christmas together as a family and have continued to put on a united front despite Christine previously opening up about the 2018 pictures of Paddy walking arm-in-arm with Nicole Appleton in her book, A Beautiful Nightmare. “It was a bit of a heartbroken moment. I was absolutely devastated by these pictures,” she wrote.
And Christine revealed last month that Paddy is dating again, with the comedian posting a cryptic photo of matching “His” and “Hers” mugs on social media just days later.
But the source says that, after 11 years of marriage, Christine doesn’t feel ready to dip her feet back into the dating pool yet, despite previously revealing that a number of mystery celebrities had messaged her online.
The source adds, “Christine feels lost at the idea of dating. She’s never really dated anyone as she’s been with Paddy since she was 17. It’s all she’s known. She wants to focus on the kids and take care of herself right now. It’s not really on her radar but in the future she’d love to meet someone special.”