Paddy McGuinness’ ex-wife Christine McGuinness has shared why she won’t be ditching her married name anytime soon, three years on from their divorce.
The Celebrity Gogglebox star and Christine, a former model and reality star, married in 2011 and announced their split in June 2022.
Due to having three young children with autism, the couple have remained living together to keep living arrangements as normal as possible.
Quizzed on why she has decided to keep Paddy’s surname, the 37-year-old said she has no plans to change it as it’s the family name.
“Obviously, I married into that name and that’s our family name, and I don’t feel under any pressure from him or from anybody to change it,” she said.
Asked by YouTuber Shizzio if Paddy, 51, had requested for her to ditch the name, she replied: “God no, no, no, no.
“I think he’d be upset if I did because, you know, 15 years, that’s not a failed marriage.
“We’ve done really really well and we still get on and we’ve got our gorgeous kids from it, so that was the best.
“But, I want the same name as my children, it’s as simple as that.”
Asked if she cared that people may think she is “hanging off the name”, Christine said fans will probably realise “it would be a lot” to change.
Furthermore, she clarified that she had attempted to ditch Paddy’s surname on social media, but was restricted due to having a blue tick.
Elsewhere during the interview, Christine said she was still paying off the £300,000 she spent during divorce proceedings.
According to reports, she hired top lawyer Catherine Bedford, who has represented a string of celebrity clients including Ant McPartlin’s ex-wife, Lisa Armstrong.
Reflecting on the divorce process, Christine said: “There were times when it was fine and really civil, and we were agreeing on what we wanted and what we were doing.
“And then there were times where it felt like we were starting all the way back at the beginning, but yeah it’s the biggest bill I have ever paid in my life.
“And I will say that I paid for my own divorce, nobody else.”
On reflection, the mother-of-three believes that the pair could’ve approached proceedings “completely differently” if they had waited, particularly due to the money they each spent.
Christine went on to say that neither party “won” the case or “fought” for the £6.5million Cheshire home they both own, though insisted it may become trickier when one of them wants to sell it.
“I certainly cannot buy him out, if I could of course I would, she continued. “And I can’t speak for [him].”