The Real Housewives of Cheshire's Christine McGuinness has been living life to the full since her split from husband Paddy McGuinness last year, jetting off on holidays and launching a stellar career as a solo presenter – and now, our source says Paddy has been left grappling with some second thoughts about his marriage breakdown.
Christine, 35, and Paddy, 49, announced their break-up after 15 years together last July, telling fans that “We’ll always be a loving family.” And despite their parting, the couple have remained living together in their family home, where they are committed to co-parenting their three children. The pair have twins Penelope and Leo, both nine, and Felicity, seven – all of whom have been diagnosed with autism, alongside Christine herself.
But now, our source says their shared space is bringing some regrets up for Paddy – who was recently linked to Kirsty Gallacher – and that it’s rekindling some of his old feelings.
“Paddy and Christine have been getting along better than they have done for years, which has been really confusing,” says our source. “Christine’s attributed this to the fact that they don’t bicker about not spending time together or who’s done more with the kids, since they have a schedule and now both get ‘free’ time.
“There have been nights where they’ll sit on the sofa just talking and laughing for hours, and it’s sparked that chemistry they once had which made them fall in love all those years ago. It reminds them of that incredible connection they once had before the issues got in the way.”
Bolton-born Paddy met then-19-year-old Christine in 2007, and the couple were seen as one of TV’s golden couples. However, before they announced their split last summer, claims emerged that he had allegedly kissed another woman behind her back. Two years ago, Christine also admitted that a snap of Paddy walking arm-in-arm with pal Nicole Appleton had left her feeling sick. “It was a bit of a heartbroken moment,” she said of the photo, which emerged in 2018. “I was absolutely devastated by these pictures.”
Since they parted ways, Christine has stepped out of Paddy’s shadow, with her career going from strength to strength. Last month she fronted her own BBC documentary, Unmasking My Autism, which was a huge success and sparked a response that she described as “incredible” and “overwhelming.” The former beauty queen is launching a fashion line too, in addition to her existing sportswear range, Vibe, and recently released a bestselling children’s book, Amazing Me Amazing You. And as part of her drive to help autistic children, Christine looked gorgeous and happy last week as she launched Butlins’ SKYPARK – a brand new and inclusive £2.5m playground designed specifically so children of all abilities can play together.
Meanwhile, two of Paddy’s shows – Catchpoint and I Can See Your Voice – have reportedly been cancelled. The Take Me Out host has also bravely opened up about his battle with depression, revealing that it was Christine who first spotted the change in his mood.
“You can be as low as low can be and it’s the people around you that tell you. I’ve never been that much of a person losing my temper, but I could feel myself in certain situations getting wound up quicker, and I just thought, that’s not me,” he reflected. Last week, he also revealed he was left feeling “homesick” after spending more time away from his family. He explained, “I’ve always had a rule I stick by where I never do more than nine days anywhere because I just like being at home. I think naturally you get homesick.”
And our source says that the calmer dynamic has them questioning whether their romance could ever be rekindled.
Our insider says, “After everything Christine has gone through, she could feel Paddy saying this is like her own form of revenge. It’s clear they’re both seeing a new side to one another, and it’s naturally making Paddy and Christine have second thoughts as they question whether they tried hard enough. She’s got a sassy new vibe about her lately which has really wowed Paddy. Of course navigating their new relationship dynamic can be challenging too – it makes it harder to emotionally detach, and not having that physical separation has made the pain of their split that bit tougher at times.
“While things are still very much platonic between them, they’re in no rush to finalise divorce proceedings and are both open to seeing where it goes in the future. Christine has said that she’ll always love Paddy and he’s told her numerous times he feels the same, so there’s very much an unspoken message that the door is still open – and they’re not saying no to a reunion.”
