It was the unusual modern-day divorce deal that saw both Paddy McGuinness and his glamorous ex-wife Christine keep their £2.5 million family home – as long as they lived in it together. Despite the toxic split, which saw them instruct aggressive lawyers, they hoped – apparently – to remain living in blissful harmony together with their three children.
Paddy, I’m told, was the main driver of the arrangement. Sources close to the pair say he was reluctant to give up the seven-bedroom gated property in Cheshire, which comes with a swimming pool, gym and glass balcony.
Indeed, friends of Christine’s say downsizing to a three-bedroom semi would ‘dent his ego quite some’ and that the former Top Gear host, who now hosts a Sunday morning show on Radio 2, ‘loves being king of his castle’.
So perhaps he was always going to put a positive spin on the living arrangements – which are becoming increasingly popular with couples across Britain who can’t afford to sell their homes – and on the state of his relationship with Christine.
In an interview in the Daily Mail’s Weekend magazine yesterday, the 51-year-old presenter gave the whole arrangement a glowing appraisal. ‘If you manage it in a respectful way then it is doable,’ he said. ‘You hear about people who are at loggerheads and that must be horrendous.’
This, however, was news to Christine. And the way she tells it, it’s a very different picture.
The 36-year-old model turned TV presenter has confided to friends that, far from living contentedly alongside her ex-husband, she is ‘utterly miserable’ at the situation.
Christine and Paddy had been together since she was in her late teens and they married in 2011
Indeed, she is gearing up for a new battle, just months after their divorce was agreed, after telling Paddy in no uncertain terms that she wants to sell the house.
Unsurprisingly, Paddy – currently touring the UK with his comedy show – remains less than keen on the idea.
He told Weekend the intention was ‘still the same’ to stay living at the mansion, adding, with a hefty dollop of optimism: ‘It doesn’t feel tricky.’
It has raised eyebrows with Christine’s friends, who suspect he will do everything he can to stall a sale until he has enough money to buy a home that suits his lifestyle.
One tells me: ‘Christine is at the end of her tether and can’t carry on living with Paddy. He comes and goes as he pleases while she’s at home with the children.
‘His argument has always been that he needs a property like the one he has, whereas Christine doesn’t care about the size of the house as long as their children are happy.
‘He told her that after the tour he should have enough money and, having recently added some new dates in Ireland, she can’t understand why he’s still stalling her.’
Christine, according to those close to her, ‘doesn’t need a mansion for status like Paddy does’ – but to move on, she needs to sell.
‘She is desperate to sell the house, split the proceeds and buy a smaller property where she can live happily with their three children,’ the friend continued.
‘She is incredibly unhappy and has had enough with their living arrangement. She’s put up with so much and just can’t do it anymore. She’s told Paddy she wants out.’
And they added: ‘Christine is feeling pretty low at the moment, she just wants to move on now and not have him in her life. It is all very difficult for her, her friends are so worried about her.’
Friends of Christine suspect Paddy will do everything he can to stall the sale of their £2.5million family home until he has enough money to buy a property that suits his lifestyle
Paddy McGuinness gave a glowing account to the Mail about living under the same roof as his former wife despite their divorce
Paddy and Christine announced their separation in the summer of 2022 and finalised their divorce in December
All in all, it’s a sorry end for the couple. They had been dating since Christine was in her late teens and married in a star-studded ceremony at the lavish Thornton Manor, on the Wirral, in 2011.
Their, 11-year-old twins Leo and Penelope, and Felicity, eight, who are all autistic. Christine, too, was diagnosed with autism in 2021.
The following year, Christine took part in ITV reality show The Games, through which, it was said, she found a new lease of life. And while it had been known there had been problems for some time between the pair, rumours began to circulate that they would split.
Sure enough, they announced their separation in the summer of 2022 and finalised their divorce in December. But Christine’s friends don’t think she got a proper settlement.
One said: ‘We all felt that Paddy was dragging out the divorce and was trying to delay it until the next year… He didn’t seem to be in a rush to get divorced and split their money because the situation suited him.
‘After everything that had happened, Christine just wanted to be free of him so she accepted one of the first deals on the table.’
Paddy – whose Top Gear career came to a halt in December 2022 after Freddie Flintoff’s crash at Dunsfold Aerodrome, which left him with life-changing injuries – also sparked fury with Christine’s friends when he took a swipe at her during a comedy gig last week.
Just 63 seconds into his show, Nearly There, he said: ‘It’s all about love and respect tonight… I don’t care what race you are, what religion, what your sexuality is. I don’t care how you identify.
‘Tonight, folks, we’re all here as human beings with one common goal… and that’s to help me pay for my divorce. I’ve had the pants down, me, the pants down.’
It’s fair to say the joke fell flat for Christine. Friends say she was ‘furious’ – especially as he had tried to make her sign a non-disclosure agreement as part of their settlement, which Paddy denies.
‘Christine has always been a bit too soft when it comes to Paddy, or at least that’s what her friends think,’ said a source.
‘We just want her to be happy.’
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