Christine McGuinness has made some candid comments about her split from Top Gear star Paddy McGuinness, which the couple announced in July 2022.
The mother-of-three met Paddy when she was just 19 years old, and they went on to get married in 2011 before welcoming three children twins Penelope and Leo, nine, and Felicity, six. Christine and her kids were all diagnosed with autism in 2021, and she has now admitted that it had a part to play in her staying in her "safe" 11-year marriage. Take a look inside their love story in the video below...
WATCH: Inside Christine and Paddy McGuinness' relationship: From Liverpool meeting to three children
In her new BBC documentary Unmasking My Autism, the model reflected on her love life and said she strived to be a "perfect wife" but she is now open to change. "My relationships before I met Patrick were not very good. I'd say they were pretty bad experiences," she said, before stating she had been sexually abused in the past.
"When I met my husband that was a time when I was very safe and I wonder if that's why I stayed. I know that I've stayed in a place where I was probably unhappy because it was safe and I don't like change," Christine continued.
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Paddy and Christine got married in 2011 and split in 2022
The 34-year-old also had her three children on her mind, as she said she didn't want the breakdown of her relationship with Question of Sport star Paddy to impact their family unit.
"I didn’t want my family to ever fall apart and that’s why I stayed married. As an autistic woman, I like to stay where I’m comfortable, I like things to stay the same," Christine continued.
© Photo: InstagramChristine admitted that she didn't want to break up her family
"I wanted to be the perfect wife and the perfect mum. I insisted on doing absolutely everything. I’m trying to not people please as much, which is hard because that’s just naturally me. I hate the thought of upsetting anyone, it really upsets me, I feel it a lot."
Christine and Paddy separated in July 2022, releasing a joint statement that read: "This was not an easy decision to make but we’re moving forward as the best parents we can be for our three beautiful children. We'll always be a loving family, we still have a great relationship and still live happily in our family home together."
The mother-of-three recently admitted she is "open" to finding love again in 2023, telling The Sun's Fabulous magazine: "I'm open to it this year, but I've got time, we'll see what happens. It's not really something that I've got on my radar."
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