Paddy McGuinness has admitted he is sometimes left overwhelmed by his family life and the ‘chaos’ of living with three children and his wife who were all diagnosed with autism.
The 48-year-old Top Gear star has been married to 34-year-old wife Christine since 2011 and together they share eight-year-old twins Penelope and Leo and a six-year-old daughter named Felicity.
The proud parents have campaigned to raise awareness about autism when their children were diagnosed with the condition – and last year Christine revealed that she too had been diagnosed as autistic.
Paddy has opened up about his family life and says he loves fatherhood and being a husband and that he can sometime be left overwhelmed.
He told The Sunday Times: “Being a parent is the best thing that's ever happened to me. Our chaos at home is just normal to me.
“People need to stop being so judgmental about others with autism and assuming kids are just being unruly and naughty if they're having a meltdown. I try to educate kn**heads, rather than rising to their ignorance.”
Paddy went on to open up about his own battle with depression, explaining it was his wife who helped him realise that he was struggling – and that he should seek treatment.
He said: “Christine is great at noticing when I'm struggling before I spot it in myself and she was the one who pushed me to get help.
“I was diagnosed with clinical depression four years ago. Having children and a wife with autism is hard, but I love them unconditionally, and I wouldn't have it any other way.”
Paddy previously discussed his depression battle.
He said in the past: "I got that down that I had to see a therapist and he diagnosed me with clinical depression. I used to think I was the last person in the world who would have depression because I earn a few quid.
"I didn't instantly go, 'oh I'm depressed' because it was a very slow process. It chipped away at me, with all of the things you have to do, things you have to deal with as a parent of children with autism.
"It dawned on me that, that's it, that's it forever. There's no 'they'll get better as the years go on.'"
And he also previously opened up about the heartbreak he felt watching his children struggling to socialise with other children.
He said on the Table Talk with Paddy Christine McGuinness Podcast previously: "It's upsetting as a parent when your child goes up to another child in that lovely way and introduces themselves, which is the most normal, nice thing to do ever.
"But most kids will look at that as: 'What the hell is going on here?' They don't understand it. As a parent, it's heartbreaking."
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