As Christine and Paddy McGuinness return from their co-parenting summer holiday, a source tells new that putting on united front for their kids is important but also ‘bittersweet’

The pair were married for 11 years before their 2022 split(Image: GC Images)

Christine and Paddy McGuinness were all smiles as they holidayed with their three children – despite reportedly finalising their divorce in July last year. The couple continue to navigate co-parenting since their marriage ended, taking their children – twins Penelope and Leo, 12, and Felicity, eight, away earlier this month. Christine revealed after the trip that she had a “heart and camera roll full of memories and milestones”.

The 37-year-old model and comedian Paddy, 52, announced their split in July 2022 and Christine has explained their decision to stay living under the one roof is to provide stability for their kids. The sun-filled trip, which also included Christine’s mum Joanne Martin, created mixed emotions for the former couple, our source said.

“It’s really tricky for them because there’s still hurt there. They were married for a long time, but they’re prepared to do things like that solely for the sake of the kids,” the source said. “They’re a bit like brother and sister now – there’s absolutely nothing romantic and they can irritate each other, but they’ll do anything to make their children happy. They both know that when one of them is away, the kids really miss them. So if they want a proper holiday with them, it makes sense to go as a family, even if they’re not going as a married couple.”

The former couple flew off to Palma together as a family

Our source added that spending time together on holiday creates some poignant feelings as they get to grips with their new reality.

“A holiday is especially bittersweet for them,” the source said. “Because, of course, when you’re on a family holiday all together like that, which is how things would’ve been when they were married, it brings up memories and makes them think of how things used to be. She knows she’s made the right decisions and wouldn’t change that, but she can’t help but remember all the good times.”

Christine’s posts on social media came shortly after viewers saw her open up during her short-lived stint on Celebs Go Dating about what went wrong with Paddy, who she met when she was 19 and married in 2011.

Speaking to the show’s experts about who initiated the split, she revealed, “Anyone can make mistakes, but I think the trust was broken.”

Christine and Paddy still live together in their Cheshire family home(Image: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

She also said, “I’ll always love him – he’s the father of my children and I think he’s the only man who I’ll ever love. A lot of people make mistakes and mess up, and when you’re in a couple who is quite well known in the industry, obviously then everyone knows your business.”

PR expert Rebecca May said the timing of the social media posts is telling. “The timing of the holiday suggests it may have been tactfully timed just before the episode airs,” said Rebecca, the founder of PR agency RM Publicity. “This underlines that family is important to her and she wants to show a strong bond still with her ex-husband by going on a big family holiday together.

“It suggests she most certainly wants that narrative to stand out before the episode drops, highlighting that they remain amicable and that co-parenting is a priority for them. It is this balance of vulnerability and strength that makes her not only relatable, but deeply admired by her fans.”

Christine, who was given an autism and ADHD diagnosis in 2021, recently confessed she struggled with the intense interest following her split from Paddy, saying, “I’ve been separated for three years and it’s honestly taken me that time to try and get my head around why there’s interest in me.”

Christine said she had the best time on the family’s summer holiday(Image: Instagram)

Paddy and Christine both put their children first, our source says(Image: Instagram)

Even though the pair appear to have developed a way of co-parenting that works for them, our source said they are still adjusting to having a platonic relationship. “The hardest moments are like when the kids go to bed and it’s just the two of them because it’s so different to what they both wanted once upon a time,” our source claimed.

Speaking previously about their decision to remain under the same roof in their Cheshire mansion, Christine said their three children, who have all been diagnosed with autism, will “always be our priority”.

And our source said Christine is more determined than ever to “do what works for the family”, even if it means putting her own feelings aside. “Christine is such a strong woman and she’s been able to work through so many difficult feelings and just put them aside,” added the source. “The holiday is testament to just how strong she really is.”