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Female footballer who ended Christine McGuinness’ marriage to Paddy revealed. Friends tell KATIE HIND truth of how friendship turned romantic – and why Christine now ‘despises’ her ex-husband

BBG News

During a halt in filming for season 5 of the ITV reality show The Games, where famous personalities engaged in Olympic-like competitions like diving and weightlifting, two popular contestants were frequently spotted engrossed in lengthy discussions, sharing laughter.

Within the expansive grounds of the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, located in southeast London, Christine McGuinness and Chelcee Grimes, a multitalented figure who’s both a former footballer and musician, started forming a close-knit circle among the group of 12 celebrities.

In the spring of 2022, during filming, their friendship quickly blossomed, a connection that might have been destined from the start. Being from working-class roots in Liverpool, they found common ground, with Christine feeling this shared background would foster a strong bond. Before long, they were nearly always together on set. However, it appears their camaraderie didn’t end there.

When Christine chose to part ways with her husband Paddy, a presenter, after 11 years of marriage, the bond between them evolved into something more intimate over time. Yesterday, at age 37 and a mother of three, Christine openly discussed ‘grey area’ friendships, revealing that she has been involved in same-sex relationships previously.

On Elizabeth Day’s “How To Fail” podcast, she disclosed that she has been in relationships with women since her teenage years. She emphasized, “Gender should not make a difference.

In the past, I didn’t really care about who I dated or not, so when I was separated from my ex-husband and encountered new people, I didn’t pursue dating seriously.

For me, the boundaries between friendships have often been somewhat vague, which is just my norm. I found it familiar and easy because I had experiences in my teenage years where I interacted with both males and females romantically.

She added she doesn’t have a label for her sexuality, but considers herself a ‘free spirit’.

It’s time to disclose the facts regarding Christine and Chelcee’s friendship – and why, even though they were photographed kissing at Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland in December 2022 and again in Ibiza the following summer, they had consistently denied any romantic involvement.

According to some acquaintances of Christine, Chelcee, previously linked to Megan Barton-Hanson from Love Island, played a significant role in Christine’s life as her marriage with Paddy started showing signs of trouble.

During the challenging weeks while filming The Games, Chelcee stood by her side, as Paddy, aged 51, chose not to openly back his wife in public. This decision sparked concerns among viewers, who expressed their questions about his absence of support on social media platforms.

A friend of Christine shared with me that Chelcee significantly boosted Christine’s confidence, which eventually led to her deciding to end her marriage with Paddy. It was during the show that Christine discovered her self-reliance. Prior to this, she hadn’t been much involved in the celebrity world as she had been at home looking after the kids while Paddy was away working.

Later on, she discovered herself socializing with numerous novel acquaintances, leading her to listen to ideas that caused her to ponder over her existence and aspirations.

Christine and Chelcee hit it off initially. Later, not long after Christine parted ways with Paddy, their bond grew even stronger.

It seems that some sources indicate Paddy strongly disliked his ex-wife’s close relationship with Chelcee. One source even went as far as saying he deeply disapproved, possibly due to the fact that Chelcee had provided Christine with a newfound confidence that helped her move forward.

During the tournament, Christine came to understand that a long-term marriage with Paddy was not her desire. With Chelcee’s assistance, she decided to end things. Prior to this point, Paddy was a constant voice in her ear.

After that, as a friend put it, the two ladies seemed to be thriving in every aspect of life. Although they frequently posted about each other on their social media platforms, they consistently refused to acknowledge being a couple when questioned by reporters.

In September 2023, it appeared as though their relationship had grown strained. They stopped following each other on social platforms, and although they share the same entertainment representative, it’s believed that they barely communicate now.

Initially, it appeared that Christine was hesitant to publicly address her sexuality. However, I’ve learned from reliable sources that she has been preparing for quite some time to do so. It seems she intends to discuss this aspect of her life as part of an extensive public relations strategy tied to her participation on the reality show Celebs Go Dating, where she will be revealing more about herself.

However, only three days into her stay in Ibiza for filming, Christine unexpectedly withdrew from the Channel 4 television program last month.

In her statement, she emphasized that she had initially joined with noble purposes, yet she discovered that engaging in dating on a publicly visible platform and the subsequent attention were premature for her. She explained that she needed to return to her loved ones at home.

Even though they’re no longer a married couple, she and Paddy continue to reside together, caring for their three children: eleven-year-old twins Leo and Penelope, along with eight-year-old Felicity.

Friends of Christine suspect that Paddy might have unknowingly influenced her decision to leave the show, as they claim he wasn’t made aware she would join or that she would date women in addition to men during its run.

Reports additionally indicate that the previous Top Gear personality expressed apprehension over Christine discussing details of their marriage during her time on the program.

There’s a chance that, following their split, Paddy might have asked Christine to agree to confidentiality terms which friends of hers alleged he requested. However, Paddy strongly disagreed with this claim.

Could it be that Christine’s remarks about her ex on yesterday’s podcast were limited because she surprisingly spoke positively about the former host of Question of Sport, who is rumored among friends to hold strong dislike towards, even though they continue to cohabit in Cheshire?

It seems that Christine’s friend mentions that they might continue residing in their current property for a while, as Paddy just listed it at an expensive price of £6.5 million. This is significantly more than the £2.1 million they initially paid for it back in 2020.

She mentioned that Christine will continue residing with Paddy for a while longer, implying she has a considerable amount of time before embarking on a new relationship, particularly if it involves a female partner.

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2025-06-04 03:19

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