Paddy McGuinness has opened up about his battle with depression after ex-wife Christine spotted the signs. The Bolton-born TV star, who announced his split from Christine last July, has shared how he 'wasn't aware' of how low he had become and said he found himself losing his temper quickly as he looked back on his struggles.
Speaking on The Monday Mile podcast, Paddy said he was later diagnosed with clinical depression after his then-wife Christine, 35, spotted the symptoms. "In my experience, with something like depression - I was diagnosed as clinically depressed and I wasn't aware of it," he told podcast host, former Olympian Aime Fuller, on a windy and rainy walk in Teggs Nose Country Park in Cheshire.
"You can be as low as low can be and it's the people around you that tell you. So Christine and a few of my family members would say stuff and ask if I was okay and I would think 'why are they always asking me that?'. But obviously you can't see it yourself, it's in your head, it's not like you've got a limp where people can spot it and you can spot."
The 49-year-old went on to explain how he found himself growing frustrated and becoming easily angered as he admitted he started to resent his job."I started resenting being in front of a crowd of people and making them laugh because I used to think 'it's alright for you lot but I'm going home feeling like this,'" Paddy recalled.
"I've never been that much of a person losing my temper but I could feel myself in certain situations getting wound up quicker and I just thought that's not me. I wasn't going round throwing cups at the b****y wall and shouting but I could feel myself feeling angry straight away and I shouldn't be feeling that."
Paddy shared with Aimee how he tried going to therapy but spoke to two different people who he thought were 'rubbish' and had completely 'given up' until he then found another doctor who worked for him.
Urging other people not to give up and keep going to find someone who can help them, he said: "I kind of look at therapy like buying shoes - it's about not giving up on it and I nearly did. If you try therapy and that doesn't work for you, it doesn't mean that all therapy won't, just keep going until you find that one. It might take you bloody six times but it's worth it."
His comments come as Christine opened up about her living arrangements with Paddy following their separation. The couple, who share twins Penelope and Leo, 9, and Felicity, 7, announced last year they were calling it quits on their 15-year relationship. In a joint statement, they said: "We hadn't planned on sharing this publicly until we were ready but after the lack of privacy surrounding our personal life, we feel left with no other option but to clarify.
"A while ago we took the difficult decision to separate but our main focus as always is to continue loving and supporting our children. This was not an easy decision to make but we’re moving forward as the best parents we can be for our three beautiful children. We’ll always be a loving family, we still have a great relationship and still live happily in our family home together.
"We hope this now draws a line under anymore unwanted and unnecessary intrusion into our private life. Although we work in the public eye we ask kindly if you could respect our wishes for privacy on this matter. We’ll be making no further comment. Loads of love. Paddy & Christine."
Speaking to the Mirror as she helped to launch Vanish's new campaign Me, My Autism & I – in partnership with charity, Ambitious about Autism and the model, Christine said: "We talk an awful lot. I was with Patrick from when I was 19 years old so for 15 years I’ve pretty much grown up with them and obviously, he's been in the industry for a long time."
The mum-of-three, who was diagnosed with autism at 33 after all three of her children were given the diagnosis, went on: "We are very close, we’re family no matter what. It’s amazing he’s there if and when I need him and the same the other way around. If he needed any advice from me, I'm not really sure what I can advise him on, maybe stuff with the children but he could always ask me. If I got lost on the motorway he’d be the first person I’d call."
She added of the split: "It is what it is but we are we are family, we are still living together. It's not a long term plan but for now, that really works. I think especially whilst we're both so busy, we don't want to change anything at home. We just keep it on a rota so that he's at home when I'm away and when’s away I’m at home and that works for us."
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