The former couple still live together in their Cheshire home, co-parenting their three children, but she admitted recently that she is absolutely loving the single life.
Revealing that she's not currently in a relationship, the 36-year-old said she has been enjoying getting out there again, and has what she calls a "busy dating diary".
Christine's kids, 11-year-old twins Leo and Penelope and Felicity, eight, are all autistic, and she was also diagnosed with the condition in 2021 - something that made her whole life "make sense". So, as we celebrate Disability History Month, she opens up about the importance of representation on huge shows such as Strictly.
The Blackpool-born model also talks to new about why she's not ready to get her dancing shoes on yet-though she's been asked and what she's learnt about herself since dipping her toe in the dating pool again.
Hi, Christine! Strictly has featured celebrity contestants with disabilities in recent years. Have you ever been asked - and would you be a good representative?
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583506613/1733203283/articles/lwgMiNnVH1733212210354/0133114616.jpg]
Everyone asks that, but I don't know. For me, it's the live audience I would be petrified of, and when people look at me I feel they think, "Oh, well, she can't be autistic because she's done an underwear shoot, so she's fine." But a lot of it is on the inside. Almost like a swan [calm above the surface, paddling hard below the surface]. I'm calm on the outside, but my heart is racing 100 miles per hour.
I did The Real Full Monty, which had a Strictly theme the year I took part, because it was for breast cancer. I was doing it for my mum, so I had that power in me to go for it. But I would love to do Strictly Come Dancing, the TV show. I'd love to get more comfortable, care-free and not panic so much.
Have Strictly bosses asked you to do it?
We might have spoken about it and had those conversations, but I'll find the right time for me. The last couple of years have been extremely challenging - it's been difficult, no matter how amicable things are. It's difficult going through a divorce and knowing that one day you're possibly going to have separate Christmases and houses. All of that is extremely heartbreaking, I think, for any family. It wouldn't have been the right time for me to go off and do such a big TV show. But in the future, who knows?
Are you a big fan of the programme?
I love it! I think anything where you are learning a [new] skill is totally worthwhile.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583506613/1733203283/articles/lwgMiNnVH1733212210354/0301020023.jpg]
Will you be making any more autism documentaries with the BBC?
I would love to. I can't confirm anything right now, but I'm open-minded when it comes to what to do next. I love making documentaries.
Could you explore the subject further? You have already made two films on autism…
I’d love to explore more hidden disabilities – such as dyspraxia, ADHD and dyslexia. I’d love to learn more about people as I’m interested in how they think – probably because I grew up being autistic and I didn’t know. I hid a lot. I would study people –...
Revealing that she's not currently in a relationship, the 36-year-old said she has been enjoying getting out there again, and has what she calls a "busy dating diary".
Christine's kids, 11-year-old twins Leo and Penelope and Felicity, eight, are all autistic, and she was also diagnosed with the condition in 2021 - something that made her whole life "make sense". So, as we celebrate Disability History Month, she opens up about the importance of representation on huge shows such as Strictly.
The Blackpool-born model also talks to new about why she's not ready to get her dancing shoes on yet-though she's been asked and what she's learnt about herself since dipping her toe in the dating pool again.
Hi, Christine! Strictly has featured celebrity contestants with disabilities in recent years. Have you ever been asked - and would you be a good representative?
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583506613/1733203283/articles/lwgMiNnVH1733212210354/0133114616.jpg]
Everyone asks that, but I don't know. For me, it's the live audience I would be petrified of, and when people look at me I feel they think, "Oh, well, she can't be autistic because she's done an underwear shoot, so she's fine." But a lot of it is on the inside. Almost like a swan [calm above the surface, paddling hard below the surface]. I'm calm on the outside, but my heart is racing 100 miles per hour.
I did The Real Full Monty, which had a Strictly theme the year I took part, because it was for breast cancer. I was doing it for my mum, so I had that power in me to go for it. But I would love to do Strictly Come Dancing, the TV show. I'd love to get more comfortable, care-free and not panic so much.
Have Strictly bosses asked you to do it?
We might have spoken about it and had those conversations, but I'll find the right time for me. The last couple of years have been extremely challenging - it's been difficult, no matter how amicable things are. It's difficult going through a divorce and knowing that one day you're possibly going to have separate Christmases and houses. All of that is extremely heartbreaking, I think, for any family. It wouldn't have been the right time for me to go off and do such a big TV show. But in the future, who knows?
Are you a big fan of the programme?
I love it! I think anything where you are learning a [new] skill is totally worthwhile.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583506613/1733203283/articles/lwgMiNnVH1733212210354/0301020023.jpg]
Will you be making any more autism documentaries with the BBC?
I would love to. I can't confirm anything right now, but I'm open-minded when it comes to what to do next. I love making documentaries.
Could you explore the subject further? You have already made two films on autism…
I’d love to explore more hidden disabilities – such as dyspraxia, ADHD and dyslexia. I’d love to learn more about people as I’m interested in how they think – probably because I grew up being autistic and I didn’t know. I hid a lot. I would study people –...
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New UK (Digital) - 1 Issue, December 09, 2024