Christine McGuinness has explained why she continued to live with her ex-husband Paddy McGuinness after their divorce, citing their three autistic children as the primary reason. The couple, who split in 2022 and finalized their divorce in 2024 after 11 years of marriage, have maintained a shared home to provide stability for their children.
Co-parenting arrangement
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Christine, 38, said that living together is a common choice for families with children with special educational needs. "A lot of families that have got children with special educational needs choose to do it this way. Maybe they don't talk about it so much, but they're the ones who really get it and understand it," she said.
She described their ability to co-parent effectively during the divorce as a "blessing" and said they were in no rush to sell their home. "We don't want to be putting the kids in mummy's house and then in daddy's house," she explained. "And our work's not in a routine and our children thrive on routine."
Children's home first
Christine emphasized that the home she shares with Paddy and their children—Penelope, Leo, and Felicity—is her "children's home." While she would "love my own little flat," she didn't want to stop her children from growing up in their house.
She also opened up about the divorce itself, calling it "awful" and "scary." Despite being "challenging and difficult," her fears were rooted in hearing horror stories from others, and her own experience turned out better.
Life beyond 'Paddy's wife'
In a separate interview with The Mirror, Christine expressed happiness that people were beginning to see her as more than just "Paddy's wife." She said: "I'm never trying to prove a point or anything, but I do feel people are seeing me for more than just how I look or just being Paddy's wife. I've got so much more to talk about and so much more to say. There's more to me than how I look."
Christine has built a career as a children's author, an autism and ADHD awareness campaigner, and a documentary maker. She said she is loving being in control of her own life and imagines she will one day have a flat in London, rather than Cheshire where their current home is. "The children love it and it really works," she said of their living situation. "So instead of getting two separate homes we'll keep and share the family home for as long as it works for everyone, but get our own separate places. I'm in London a lot for work, so I'd love a little flat there and be a proper little Sex and the City girl!"
