EXCLUSIVE: Christine McGuinness and ex-husband Paddy have finalised their divorce, but are still sharing the same mansion after deciding to put their children first
Hitting the town in a strapless black mini dress, Christine McGuinness looks better than ever.
There’s a spring in her step, despite her towering red heels. The model has been through a tough couple of years, what with her mum’s health issues and the end of her marriage to TV presenter Paddy McGuinness, who was reported to have made a brutal joke about their divorce before the show was axed.
But the divorce is now final – and it’s given her a new lease of life. The mum-of-three reveals she’s ready to start a new chapter, despite still living with her ex.
“For so many years, I was being a mum and a wife,” she says. “I was staying at home all the time. But now, my divorce is complete and I’m dating again. I’m having fun.”
Christine, 36, is feeling more confident than ever. For years the famous beauty, who has autism, has let nerves get the better of her. But not any more.
“This is the year when I’m going to go for it and take on more opportunities,” she says. “In the past I’d get an opportunity and I’d say no before even considering it.
“But now I’ll look at it and see how much it will affect me mentally and physically. I’ve realised that these things are a bit of fun. It’s telly. So, why not?
“I like feeling more relaxed and open-minded when it comes to different opportunities.”
In recent years Christine has done a string of reality shows including Celebrity MasterChef, The Games and The Real Full Monty. While more projects along those lines are inevitable, she’s not limiting herself to TV.
She adds: “Anything that comes my way, whether it’s dancing in a music video or doing a documentary, I’m going to go for it. So long as I can work it around my children, I’m going to do it.”
Christine is still sharing a mansion with ex Paddy, even now they’re divorced. The pair have decided to both stay in the house for the benefit of their kids.
But that doesn’t mean Paddy is part of her life anymore.
She says: “People probably think that Paddy and I are sharing our lives. That’s not the case.
“Our time isn’t together. When Paddy is at home, I can go to work. And when I’m at home, he can go to work.
“Every now and again, we’ll be there at the same time and we’ll have family days together and it’s lovely. But they’re few and far between.
“We’ve got our own separate lives and careers. It’s working.
“I’m sure there are a lot of people who think, ‘How can you live with your ex-husband for years after you’ve separated?’ But our children are always going to come before anything else.”
Most divorces turn nasty, but Christine and Paddy made sure they didn’t do that. They were determined to put their kids first.
Christine admits: “Divorce is never nice. But we’ve tried to be as civil as possible for the children. “The one thing that we always agreed on when we were going through the divorce was that the children were the priority. We didn’t want to upset them.
“We wanted them to know they’ve got mummy and daddy and that we love them so much. We’ll be a family forever. Although we’re not together anymore, we’re parents.
“And it’s worked. Our children are happy and healthy.”
Christine is now gearing up for a very exciting summer as a newly-single woman. In recent weeks she’s signed up to work on a string of projects and she’s in talks to do even more.
“I’ve got time to focus on me and my career now. I can make that a priority,” she beams.
“This year is going to be so busy for me. It’s going to be the busiest summer I’ve ever had.
“It’s really, really exciting. I’ve got loads of things coming up. I’m excited. It’s the right time.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
