Paddy McGuinness and ex-wife Christine have been open about raising three autistic kids, and the health battles that they’ve had to contend with.
Having separated in 2022, 51-year-old Paddy has addressed some of the challenges he and Christine, 36, continue to face as a result of their decision to keep sharing a home. He’s also been open about the obstacles they’ve had to overcome as they raise their young family…
You can catch Paddy in the new series of Tempting Fortune tonight (Sunday, March 16) on Channel 4.
Paddy McGuinness on the challenges of parenting three children with autism
For Paddy and Christine, parenting brought with it some unique challenges.
All three of their children – Leo, Penelope, 11, and Felicity, eight – are autistic, as is Christine. Leo and Penelope are twins, too, which means extra work for the first-time parents.
“You’ve got double nappies, double teething, double sleepless nights, double everything, and you’ve nothing to compare anything with,” Paddy told the Times in 2021.
When anxious or overstimulated, the twins would make trilling sounds or flap their arms – actions known as “stimming”, short for self-stimulatory behaviour.
Repeating physical movements, sounds or words is a type of repetitive behaviour common among people with developmental disabilities, ADHD or autism.
Leo would spin the wheels on his toy cars while Penelope cried and became introverted, Paddy explained. New experiences became challenging, including something as simple as visiting family members or friends for the day.
“I’m thinking, you have no idea how difficult that is,” Paddy explained. “To put your kids in the car and nip to your aunty’s or your cousin’s is the best thing in the world, but for us it was the most difficult thing in the world. And Christine wouldn’t let anyone in the house, really.”
Lockdown meant one step forward, two steps back
The twins got their autism diagnoses at the age of four, Felicity when she was three.
Paddy has described it as a double-edged sword. Knowing what something is brings something like relief, he said. But it also makes it “all you think about”, he admitted.
Soon they were in a school that had provisions for children with additional needs. But Covid-19 caused schools to shut down, and this reversed precious progress.
“We saw our kids regress during the lockdown – with their sleep, with reading, with food. We saw it go back massively. Our school set up online stuff, but our kids wouldn’t do it.”
Holidays were broadly out of the question. It was just too much at once, Paddy said. Too much stress. Too much change.
They had to readjust. Christine’s mum would take the kids for a night here or there, but Paddy admitted that something would “usually” go wrong.
Paddy and Christine McGuinness still go on family holidays together
Despite being three years divorced, Paddy and Christine McGuinness still share family holidays together.
It’s four years on from the most challenging parts of parenting. Thankfully, they’re able to get away to destinations such as the Balearic Islands or Center Parcs.
With hindsight, in a recent piece for the Times, Paddy described their early holiday experiences as “terrifying” and “stressful”.
But they’ve experimented, and “gradually extended the length of time we’re away for and the distance travelled”.
“It’s been baby steps over a long period of time, but we’ve learnt how to get better at travelling and we all love our holidays now. Two hours on a plane is the maximum, so places like Menorca and Majorca are perfect for us. But I’m always glad the second the plane touches back down into the UK.”
Split – and still living together
Paddy and Christine ended their relationship in 2022 after 11 years of marriage. However, they are still close and co-parent their three children.
Speaking in March 2023, Christine revealed why the pair still live together in the family home.
“The children don’t know any different and they’re growing up in a happy and loving home. I just want it to continue like that. We don’t know what the future holds but right now it works,” she told Women’s Own.
“The thought of eventually co-parenting in separate houses is something I’m going to really struggle with.”
Tempting Fortune series 2 begins Sunday, March 16 at 9pm on Channel 4.
Read more: Inside Paddy McGuinness’ health battles – from crippling diagnosis aged 44 and ‘regular tests’ for hereditary heart problems to clinical depression
So, can you relate to any of Paddy and Christine’s parenting challenges? Let us know by leaving a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix. We want to hear your thoughts.
