Christine McGuinness admits children are unaware of split from ex Paddy as they plan to reunite for Christmas

Christine and Paddy split earlier this year after 11 years of marriage
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Christine McGuiness has revealed she will be spending Christmas with her ex Paddy McGuinness, as they try to keep things as normal as possible for the children.

Paddy, 49, and Christine, 34, announced their split earlier this year after more than a decade of marriage.

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They share three children, Penelope, Felicity, and Leo - all of whom have been diagnosed with autism. Christine was diagnosed with the condition in 2021.

Christine has opened up to OK! Magazine about her breakup with the TV presenter and their co-parenting arrangements - including Christmas plans.

Paddy and Christine McGuinness have announced their separationPaddy and Christine McGuinness have announced their separation
Paddy and Christine McGuinness have announced their separation

The English model, 34, who was born in Blackpool but lives in Cheshire, revealed that the children are still unaware of their parent's relationship status.

When asked if she had told them about the split, Christine said: "No, not at all, they’re so young. I’m trying to just stick to their normal routine. Take them to school in the morning, pick them up, try to work while they’re at school and take them to after-school clubs and just try to stick to normal life as much as possible."

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Despite the heartbreak, the couple have enjoyed their first holiday together with their children since their split.

They took to Instagram to post snaps taken during the family retreat, which included a visit to Santa.

Christine has confirmed that she and Paddy will reunite over the festive period - as that is what the children are used to.

"We don’t know what the future holds or how it’s going to be moving forward, but we’ll try to keep things as normal as possible," said Christine.

Christine married Paddy McGuiness in 2011 (Picture: Getty)Christine married Paddy McGuiness in 2011 (Picture: Getty)
Christine married Paddy McGuiness in 2011 (Picture: Getty)
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The couple, who were introduced through a mutual friend and had been together for 15 years, split in July amid rumours that Paddy had sent secret Instagram messages to a BBC presenter in March.

A statement released on Instagram said: “We hadn’t planned on sharing this publicly until we were ready, but after the lack of privacy surrounding our personal life, we feel left with no other option but to clarify.

“A while ago, we made the difficult decision to separate, but our main focus as always is to continue loving and supporting our children.

“This was not an easy decision to make but we are 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 live happily in our family home together.

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“We hope this now draws a line under any more unwanted or unnecessary intrusion into our private life. Although we work in the public eye, we ask kindly if you could respect our wishes for privacy on this matter.”