Christine McGuinness has opened up about her emotional breakdown before Strictly The Real Full Monty.

Christine Martin and Paddy McGuinness attend the National Television Awards (Image: Getty Images)

Paddy McGuinness’ ex-wife, Christine, has shared a touching update, providing a moving glimpse into her family life. Speaking on John Reynolds’ Extraordinary Life Stories podcast, the former model revealed that her children with Take Me Out host Paddy are her “biggest inspiration” and have taught her to “not be scared”. The Real Housewives of Cheshire star, who is mother to three children – twins Leo and Penelope, and Felicity, all of whom are autistic – made these remarks while reflecting on a challenge she encountered during ITV’s Strictly The Real Full Monty.

Christine, who was diagnosed with autism and ADHD in 2021, disclosed that she had “just been diagnosed” at the time but had not yet made the news public. Participating in the show for her mother, who had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer and “really wanted to do it”, Christine knew she would have to perform in front of an audience and that the show would eventually air on television.

Christine opened up in a podcast interview (Image: Getty Images)

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She confessed: “I’m not a performer, I’m not a singer, I’m not an actress; I’m a mum. I’ve done bits of telly, but I’m just me. And I was so scared. I had the biggest meltdown. I was absolutely petrified, and it wasn’t about even the performance side of things.”

What concerned her was not simply the audience, but also the “nerves and the anxiety”, and the worry that she would “let everybody down” or “mess it up”. Christine claimed that it’s “quite typical” for “autistic-ADHD females in particular” to be “quite hard on themselves and overthink”, admitting that it had prevented her from pursuing “things that I wanted to do”.

She revealed that during production, a week before filming the final dance, she attended her children’s Nativity play. At this moment in the podcast, Christine could be heard becoming emotional as she said: “I’m very proud of them. For three years before that Nativity, they could not sit in the assembly. They would come in the room; they’d last a couple of minutes, and they’d leave. They’d be fidgeting; they’d be upset.

Paddy McGuinness and Christine McGuinness split up in 2022 (Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)

“And this one time, they got up on stage, and they said all of the words, and they performed, and they remembered everything, and they smiled, and I just thought, ‘Wow’, you know? They are doing it. ‘They can do it, so I need to do it.’”

Christine described her kids as her “biggest inspiration” and how she needed to lead by “example”.

She said they were observing her, and she wants them to witness that she not only works, but also has friends, drives and is independent. Christine added that it was them who taught her to “not be scared”.

Paddy and Christine announced their separation in June 2022, after 11 years of marriage, although they continued to live together for the benefit of their children.