Christine shared what it’s really like to live with her ex-husband Paddy as they co-parent together
Christine McGuinness has opened up about the difficulties of co-parenting with her ex-husband Paddy McGuiness as she said it’s “not easy”. The 36-year-old split from Paddy, 50, in 2022, and the couple share three children – twins Leo and Penelope, 11, and eight-year-old Felicity.
Fans were stunned to learn that Christine and Paddy continue to live in the same home as they co-parent their children, who all have autism. In a recent interview, Christine revealed that Paddy had only been home five days during the summer.
Christine has dealt with a lot of online criticism in the past for going on holiday, but she explained that she only travels when Paddy is at home with the kids – which has been rare over the past few months. The model confessed that Paddy working away has helped her mental health, and she enjoyed going away when her ex was home, the Mirror Online reports.
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“Co-parenting means that when he’s back, he’s entitled to his time and it’s good for the children – they love spending time together. So it makes sense for me to disappear for a couple of days and enjoy it,” she told new! magazine.
However, Christine confessed she will “really struggle” when the time comes for her and Paddy to live in separate houses, and sadly added that it will be a “massive shock” to the family.
The former couple have also addressed the awkward subject of dating other people while still living together, and Christine said while she refuses to talk to Paddy about it, the TV star has “been on dates”.
She added: “We’ve been separated over two years now, so inevitably it’s going to happen at some point. We’re both very respectful of each other’s private lives and it’s not each other’s business.”
Christine insisted that “as long as it doesn’t affect the children in any way” then she doesn’t need to know who’s he dating, or where he’s going. She added: “That’s his personal life.”
While she complained about him being away working a lot, she admitted navigating co-parenting with Paddy has made her “the calmest I’ve ever been”, and said she had been “unsettled” in the immediate aftermath of their divorce.
But she insisted that she was scared because of the “fear of change”, and their unusual living arrangements has enabled her to “feel okay” about the divorce. Christine added: “I kind of feel I live on my own anyway because Patrick works so much so when that does happen I know I will be ok.”
Despite his absence, she said Paddy was an “amazing dad”, and is “so hands on at home”, and even though they’re divorced, they have “never had an argument”.
