Christine McGuinness has announced she’s quit Celebs Go Dating just days after cameras started rolling for the new series. She took to Instagram to explain her sudden exit, revealing a realisation she had while on set. Just last week, Christine was all smiles as she was announced as a star participant in the upcoming fourteenth series of the E4 dating programme, joining celebs like Kerry Katona. But now, she’s made the decision to step back.
In a statement on her Instagram Stories on Thursday evening, Christine opened up to her fans about her change of heart. She admitted that although she joined the show with “great intentions” she now feels it’s “too soon” for her to dive into dating so publicly.
Her heartfelt statement read: “I joined Celebs Go Dating with great intentions but have realised that dating on a public platform and the attention that brings is just too soon for me. They’ve said the door is always open for me which I’m so grateful but for now I’m returning home to my family.”
The announcement comes after Christine, who split from ex-husband Paddy McGuinness in 2022, had previously expressed her eagerness to enjoy a “summer of fun” on the show, reports the Mirror.
She declared: “I’m really excited to be joining the agency, I’m going to have a summer of fun! Who knows what might happen? I’ve not really dated much before, so I feel like I’m doing a crash course! I’m looking forward to getting to know the other celebs and I’m especially looking forward to the coaching side of things with the agents. I think that’s going to be good for me.”
The reveal for the star-studded cast of the new Celebs Go Dating series dropped last week, with the teaser of an all-new agency stirring excitement. This year’s love hopefuls include Kerry Katona, returning after her stint on the show in 2019, Louis Russell from Too Hot To Handle, Love Island beauty Olivia Hawkins, and S Club’s Jon Lee.