Christine McGuinness has revealed she is still living with her ex-husband Paddy, two years after finalising their divorce and four years after they split. The model, 38, described the arrangement as "modern" and said it is ultimately for the happiness of her children.
Still under the same roof
Christine, who married comedian Paddy, 53, in 2011, explained that the pair continue to share their Cheshire mansion as part of what she calls a "modern divorce" arrangement. They have twins Leo and Penelope, 11, and eight-year-old Felicity together, but called it quits in 2022.
During an appearance on the Tea Time with Will Njobvu podcast, she said: "We haven’t quite moved on separately because we still live in the same house four years later."
Why it works
The former Loose Women star insisted the arrangement works, adding: "It works, I don’t need to be dropping my kids off at daddy’s house for the weekend. It’s like a Swedish thing, a modern divorce. It’s a nesting home, it doesn’t upset the children.
"You’ve gotta remember, children are innocent in it, they haven’t done anything wrong. Why should their life be flipped upside down and torn apart. Why should they be having one day over there."
She noted that her children, who are all autistic, benefit from the stability: "They need to know where their home is, their little children, their all autistic as well so they like routine, they like things to be the same."
Boundaries and future plans
Christine, who has built a TV career with shows including Celebrity Masterchef, Pilgrimage, Celebrity Hunted and The Real Housewives of Cheshire, said the decision is partly for her children’s happiness: "I’m not going to upset my children’s life or routine because I want my own space or my own house. I can go down to London and work, I can stay in hotels and all of that, I’m not in any rush to go and live with somebody and I’m sure he isn’t either.
"We’ve chosen to stay together in the home and we go in and out and the children don’t need to be moved or upset. It’s nice, it’s still home with mummy and daddy."
She recently discussed the boundaries the pair have set around their love lives, saying: "We spoke about this after we separated – what are we comfortable with, how much did we want to share – because neither of us wants to wake up and find the other on the front page of a newspaper.
"But it’s been three years now, I don’t need to know what he’s doing and he doesn’t need to know about me. It just stays outside the home."
The TV star has ruled out bringing any future partner back to the family home, telling the Mail: "No way! Even if I lived on my own it would be a long time before I took that step. I was messaging an amazing woman last year, and it took three months before I agreed to meet her for a date."
