Who is Paddy McGuinness' wife Christine and how many children do they have?
Fans will know Paddy McGuinness as the cheeky chappie presenter of dating show Take Me Out, where couples are paired up and whisked off to the Isle of Fernando's. But what about his own love life? Who is 45-year-old Paddy married to and how many children does he have? Read on to find out everything you need to know about the Top Gear host and his wife Christine…
Who is Paddy McGuinness' wife Christine?
Paddy is married to Christine Martin, a 30-year-old model and reality TV star from Blackpool, currently appearing in The Real Housewives of Cheshire. Christine started off her modelling career by winning two beauty pageants in her teenage years; she was named Miss Commonwealth and also Miss Liverpool at the tender age of 18. She met Paddy at the Liverpool Tennis Tournament when she was modelling for Liverpool-based boutique Cricket.
Paddy and Christine pictured at the 2019 NTA Awards
When did Paddy McGuinness and Christine marry?
The couple married on 4 June 2011 at Thornton Manor in the Wirral after dating for three years. They went on to welcome three children: twins Leo and Penelope in 2013 and daughter Felicity in September 2016.
Paddy and Christine's marriage went through a rocky patch in 2018 when the TV presenter was pictured on a night out with All Saints star Nicole Appleton. The cosy-looking pair were spotted walking around arm-in-arm in Soho. At the time, Christine shared a series of cryptic messages on Twitter and Instagram, with one reading: "When you realise you deserve so much more… that's not a bad thing." She also shared a quote from Marilyn Monroe that read: "I believe everything happens for a reason. People change so you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you can appreciate them when they're right. You believe lies so that you will eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together."
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A couple of months later, Paddy and Christine's marriage appeared to be firmly back on track. During an appearance on Loose Women, the mother-of-three said: "We're happier than ever right now, it's great that we're putting the effort in, it's lovely, it's nice. Working at it is quite good, it's actually exciting, you know?"
Christine stars on The Real Housewives of Cheshire
How many children do Paddy McGuinness and Christine have?
The couple welcomed twins Leo and Penelope in 2013 followed by daughter Felicity in 2016. Christine does most of the childcare but has said that she and Paddy are making more of an effort to spend time together. "I chose to do it. I've got absolutely no regrets," she told Loose Women in 2018. "I try to take the positive from everything and it has made me realise, actually I do want to spend more time with him, try and do more things together." She added: "There's been so many times where he's left to go to work and I've waved him off and said, 'Yeah this is fine, go and enjoy your work' and then I've sat and cried thinking I really wished you would have stayed in. That's a lack of communication."
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On the twins' fourth birthday in 2017, Christine revealed that they are autistic. Taking to Instagram, she wrote: "Today you both turn four, and I celebrate so much more. In the last 12 months you have learnt to talk, and you are using flat feet to walk. You are conquering your daily challenges, and I'm here to hold your hand, when you're dealing with sensory overload, the quietest room sounds like a big brass band. You excel in mathematics and amateur dramatics and you amaze me every day, because you are beautiful inside and out, in an extra special way. The meltdowns, the routines and all the planning ahead. The groundhog days, the beige food and the temperamental 'time for bed'." The doting mum concluded: "I love you unconditionally, and I will encourage you both to embrace your autism. Because you are totally unique and fantastically awesome. All my love always, Mummy."
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Paddy and Christine have both spoken about the difficulties of parenthood. Christine has admitted that her husband finds it more challenging, telling Loose Women: "I have to say he's amazing too. He's brilliant. He's so good. I find it easy with the children now – yes it's challenging – but I just manage it. But he struggled, and I think if you're doing what we're doing and you struggle it's ten times worse. For him, he does it because he has to, because he loves the children."
She explained that Paddy found things difficult to cope with in the beginning, adding: "Getting his head around his children having a lifelong condition that we knew nothing about – nothing can prepare you for that and you've got to learn on the job. But he's doing absolutely amazingly. He only spoke about it for the first time recently and I think since he did that, he's opened up – I do think it is harder for men."
Paddy shared his own experiences in a candid interview with John Bishop in 2018, revealing: "It's very, very, very, very difficult, you know any parent with children with any kind of special needs is very difficult… With the autism, for me, the more I saw it and the more they had really bad days, I'd get so down, you know, I'd be like, depression and different things would wash over me."
In 2017, Christine also shared her worries that her daughter Felicity was beginning to show symptoms similar to the twins. "I am looking for little things," she explained on This Morning. "If she does have autism, we'll get her the help she needs. She does things like standing on her tippy toes, and she likes dry food. But she is brand new, I don't want to put too much pressure on it."
