Christine McGuinness says she was a 'recluse' for years over health struggles

31 January 2024 , 19:00

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Christine McGuinness has admitted she doesn't want her children to do the same as she did (Image: BBC / Optomen / Duncan Stingemore)

Christine McGuinness has admitted she "barely left the house" for eight years as she doesn't want her children to live the life she did.

The model, 35, was diagnosed with autism in 2021 after her three children, shared with ex-husband Paddy McGuinness, were also diagnosed. She has since shared how she has struggled to form friendships and leave the house. Christine has admitted life was "really difficult" before her diagnosis.

The former Real Housewives of Cheshire star hopes by speaking about her diagnosis, she can show her three children that you can still go to work and make friends despite being neurodivergent. She confessed: "I don't want them to live the life that I did. I was a recluse for nearly eight years, I barely left the house and if I was going to go to the shop I'd go at 2 or 3 in the morning."

Christine doesn't want her children to feel like she did (instagram/mrscmcguinness)

The mum-of-three struggled to form friendships and developed an eating disorder (Instagram)

Speaking to Vogue Williams and Tommy Mallet on the Boots podcast, Christine added: "I'm not great at keeping friendships. Not because I'm not nice, people get on with me and I like everyone, but then trying to actually build a friendship I would struggle with the social side of things."

Christine candidly shared how she "could never keep up with the friendship side of things". She wouldn't go out with her mates, do girls holidays or meals out. The mum-of-three admitted not knowing she was autistic when she was younger meant she was forced to leave school at 14.

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Not being able to cope in school led to her having an eating disorder. She explained: "I couldn't cope in the classroom. I couldn't cope in the canteen which sadly led to an eating disorder which is quite common for autistic women especially because I don't like eating with people. When I was a teenager the doctors kind of just said 'Oh you know she's a teenage girl she's obviously worried about her figure and the way she looks' and it wasn't that at all."

Christine confessed she wouldn't have been able to explain why she didn't like the canteen because she didn't understand it herself. She added: "But it was quite simply that it seemed such a mess. The smell, the sound, the taste of the foods, not knowing what was going to be on the menu every day, and then having to think 'Okay well where do I sit? Who do I go to because I didn't have any friends?' So all of it was just too much and that led to me being quite poorly."

The reality star admitted she still struggles with food and sticks to a beige diet. She told Vogue and Tommy: "I try and look after myself the best I can I'll take vitamins but I'm still on a very typical autistic diet which is like a plain beige food diet. Everything is dry." Sharing what her daily food intake looks like, Christine said: "So toast is a favourite in my house for me and the kids. Toast, bagels, chicken nuggets and chips for the kids is always popular, plain pasta.

"I just don't like anything too wet like a lasagna, you're never going to see that in my house. Even going into a restaurant now I'm trying more but it's taken up until I'm in my 30s for me to walk into a restaurant and even attempt it."

For help and support on eating disorders contact Beat Eating Disorders on 0808 801 0677.

Mia O'Hare