JUST six months ago, Christine McGuinness shocked fans when she revealed to Fabulous that her 11-year marriage to Paddy McGuinness was in crisis.
As she described how they were having a “difficult time”, she was visibly nervous and strained – a shadow of her normal self.
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Soon after the interview hit newsstands in July, the 34-year-old mum of three and her Top Gear presenter husband announced they were separating.
Now, however, she’s like a different woman – laughing and joking, with her sparkle well and truly back.
“I’ve been good,” she says.
“Everything’s calming down and I’m really excited for what’s to come.”
Just after New Year, the former model – who has continued to live with Paddy, 49, in their Cheshire home to co-parent their nine-year-old twins Penelope and Leo, and daughter Felicity, six, who have all been diagnosed with autism – posted on Insta that she was “ready for 202FREE”.
Is that still how she feels: liberated?
“Well, I think when you’re a mum, you’re never completely free!” she laughs.
“But yeah, it feels quite freeing, I’m at a totally different stage of my life, a different chapter.
“Obviously, I’m separated from Patrick, which we can’t say too much on, but we’re co-parenting more, so I have got time where the children are with Daddy.
“That’s wonderful. It’s amazing that he’s got that time with them, I have my own time with them, and we all have time together as well.
“With my free time, it’s about trying to work more, although most of the time I end up just staying at home. I’m not scared. I’m not sad or anxious. I’m excited.”
This is a real change for Christine, who is facing single life for the first time in 15 years.
She was just 19 when the comedian chatted her up at a bikini fashion show at the Liverpool International Tennis Tournament in 2007.
They went on to marry at Thornton Manor on the Wirral in 2011.
In December, a profile pretending to be Christine popped up on celeb dating app Raya, leading many to speculate that she was putting herself back out there.
“They used my pictures and set it up to my Instagram, so I started getting a lot of messages saying: ‘I’ve just seen you on Raya!’ I’ve never used a dating website,” she explains.
“I’m not against it at all, but I wouldn’t know where to start. I don’t know why the person set it up. It definitely wasn’t me… this time!”
Meanwhile, others have been speculating that something more serious is going on with former women’s footballer Chelcee Grimes, 30.
The pair grew close after meeting on reality show The Games last May, and subsequently went on holiday to Croatia together along with other pals, before looking cosy during a trip to Winter Wonderland in London’s Hyde Park last month.
Christine is coy about what exactly is going on.
She says: “Chelcee’s been great. We have such a laugh together and obviously she’s based up north too, but I love catching up with everyone from The Games whenever I can.
“They all have a big place in my heart, because it really did change my life.”
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While she is still in the process of going through a divorce, Christine isn’t ruling out starting to date again.
“I’m open to it this year,” she says.
“But I’ve got time. We’ll see what happens. It’s not really something that I’ve got on my radar.
“In your 30s, how do you date? Where do you go? Where do you start? I’ve been with Patrick for 15 years, I’m certainly not in a big rush to jump into anything.”
She’s had no shortage of interest so far, regardless.
“Yeah, there’s a lot [of DM sliding],” she says.
“It’s been quite fascinating really. I won’t name any names of the celebrities. It shocked me.
“They kinda drop in like: ‘Hey, do you wanna go out?’ I don’t reply. I’m not interested. I’m not there for that, and if you’re messaging me through Instagram, that’s not how I wanna meet somebody.”
While Christine is thinking of moving on, there is one thing she will hang on to from her marriage.
“Yes, I am going to stay McGuinness,” she says defiantly. “It’s something I’ve always said, even when we’ve been joking about it in the past. I want to keep the same name as my children, but I will eventually move to ‘Miss’.”
Career-wise, Christine’s future has never looked brighter.
The BBC has commissioned a follow-up to the hit documentary Paddy And Christine McGuinness: Our Family And Autism.
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This time, Christine, who was diagnosed with autism herself during the filming of the show, will be on her own fronting The Secret World Of Autistic Women And Girls, which is set to air later this year.
She says: “I really want to spend as much time as I can with the children this year – my focus is always going to be at home making sure they’re happy.
“But I want to continue to work. I’m open-minded, so I’d like to push myself, especially if it scares me.
“I want to go for it like I did with The Games.
“That was where I really started to step into my own. It’s almost a year since I’ve done that. I’ll be petrified, but I want to keep saying yes to new opportunities this year.
“While working on the new documentary, I’ve met so many other autistic women and girls.
“It’s really given me a lot of insight into others like me. I’ve never met anyone like me before and I clicked with them straight away. I felt like I fitted in.
“It was just lovely. We could share what sorts of things we had in common.
“I’m hoping that it’ll help teach people.
“One of the main reasons I’ve focused on women is because we tend to mask it to fit in.
“That leads to women getting diagnosed later, going through their lives struggling and not understanding themselves because they’re masking.”
The diagnosis has been revelatory for Christine in understanding her huge desire to settle down young, as well as her struggles in the past to form friendships.
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“Making the documentary made me accept myself so much more. When I went into it, I was thinking: ‘OK, I’m going to come out of this knowing exactly who I really am,’ because I’m very all over the place and I do have different personalities in different jobs or depending who I’m around.
“I have got different sides to me. It depends on the situation I’m in, but there are times when it will go extreme.
“When I’m extremely anxious or if it’s something I don’t want to do, I cannot convince myself to do it.
“And then there are other times when I can walk in confidently, holding my head up high and do whatever you ask me to do.
“If you were to ask 10 different people who’ve met me: ‘What was she like?’ they’d probably all give you a different story.
“It’s very common in autistic women to people-please. I want to make everyone happy. That is part of masking.
“So I was always questioning: ‘Who am I? Which personality is actually me?’ By the end of the documentary, I realise it’s all me and I do have different personalities – and I accept that.
“I’m trying not to be so hard on myself. I’m trying to laugh at myself a bit more and be less apologetic for every little mistake. I’m trying not to give myself such a hard time.”
Christine also realised there was a gap in the market when she couldn’t find children’s books about autism to read to her kids.
So she fixed it by writing one herself – Amazing Me, Amazing You will be released in March.
“I’m so proud and I can’t wait to read it to my own children,” she says.
“One of the reasons I wrote it was I found there weren’t many stories that had autistic characters in them. And I really want my children to be able to recognise themselves in a book.
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“I want parents and carers to read the book to their children and it to open up conversations. I’m hoping the book might make the world a bit more accepting.”
Christine is also preparing for another first this year – going away on her own. In the past, the family avoided travelling as it was so difficult with the children, but now, the divorce has given her the time and freedom to attempt it.
“Well, I haven’t got on the plane yet!” she jokes.
“I’ve just booked it. I’ve only got time for mini-breaks, because I don’t like being away from my children too much.
“But it’s got easier. They’re getting older, so they’re getting used to me and Patrick going in and out of the house. It’s not unusual for them now if I have to go away.
“I can do it and not feel as worried as I used to be. Although, as a mum, I’m always going to worry constantly!
“I was having a bit of a January Blues day and looked at my calendar and saw that I was home for a solid five weeks without a single day out.
“Patrick’s in and out working, but I saw a gap of a couple of days where I thought: ‘I could go away.’ I’ve no one to go with – my circle is very small. A lot of my closest friends are mums with children so they can’t come away either.
“But I found a retreat in the Alps, so I booked myself in. It’s a sort of health and wellness retreat. I’ve just booked it for a couple of days, so that’s what I’m gonna do. I’m petrified!
“I want to be more independent and I’ve always wanted to travel. I don’t ever want to have to wait around or see who’s available.
“I want to be like: ‘OK I’ve got a gap there, where can I go?’ and just do it.
“It’s something that I’ve got to push myself to do, because it’s not natural for me, but I might enjoy it. I’ve always been quite a loner and I’m OK in my own company.”
She has, in fact, decided to take inspiration from her own children.
She says: “I used to look at my children and think we should all be a little more like them [taking time out when they need to].
“On Christmas Day, Penelope opened two presents and then said: ‘Mummy, I’ve had enough for now, can I come back later?’
“And I said: ‘Of course you can!’ Years ago, that would have upset me that she wasn’t wanting to open her presents like any other child.
“I’d have worried that it’s because she doesn’t like them, but no, she’s just had enough.
“She’s vocalising it really eloquently. I’m just really proud of her.
“She’s nine and it’s amazing because that’s something that I wouldn’t have done for myself as a child.
“I’d have just sat there doing something that I didn’t want to do and then I’d have probably had a meltdown a bit later on.
“But I’m bringing them up to be independent and to speak for themselves and not to worry about fitting in.
“And if it does upset someone because you’re not doing what they want to do, just try to be polite about it and explain.”
Recently, Christine followed her kids’ example and while in Devon with friends, she decided to go down to the beach on her own to watch the sunset.
“It was just gorgeous,” she smiles.
“So, yeah, more of that – more solo sunsets. It sounds so rude [wanting to be alone], and I used to hate myself for feeling like that, but now I just go: ‘Yeah, I just want to be on my own.’ And that’s OK.”
- Amazing Me, Amazing You by Christine McGuinness (£7.99, Scholastic) is out March 2 and available to pre-order now.
Fabulous parenting club
What’s your funniest parenting memory?
I was winding Felicity once and she had bad reflux. Patrick was behind me and she threw up all over his black suit!
What’s been your biggest win?
Just how well-mannered they are. It doesn’t cost anything to teach your children to be polite.
Have you had any notable fails?
I always forget to cut the labels out of their clothes and then they’ll be itching.
Any top tips?
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. It doesn’t make you a bad parent if you want family to come and help for a couple of hours while you catch up on sleep.
Is there anything you wish you’d known before having your kids?
The worry you have for your children. I’m going to be worrying for the rest of my life!
Who’s your parenting inspo?
My mum raised three children on her own with absolutely nothing, and she still had a smile on her face.