Next week kicks off with a romantic start as Valentine’s Day 2022 falls on Monday – but for Christine and Paddy McGuinness they couldn’t resist celebrating the special event a little early this year.
The 33-year-old model and charity campaigner and her 48-year-old comedian husband have been married since 2011 and together they share three children; eight-year-old twins Leo and Penelope and six-year-old daughter, Felicity.
The couple have hectic diaries and noticed they both had a rare day off on Thursday meaning they could steal a few hours to enjoy a day together.
The pair enjoyed a romantic lunch and went shopping together while their kids were at school – bringing their Valentine’s Day treats ahead by four days.
Explaining all to the Mirror's Jess Boulton's on her 'Jess Saying' Facebook Live interview on Friday, Christine explained: "We did our Valentine's yesterday because our children break up from school today. So yesterday we had a really lovely day, went into Manchester city centre."
Christine went on to explain that their busy diaries mixed with child care needs next week meant she and Paddy wouldn’t be able to celebrate on Monday.
She said: “We aren't going to be able to do that on Valentine's Day as we'll have the three children with us."
She said that "yesterday was kind of unplanned," with her and Paddy having had free diaries and knew that they couldn't really do much next week.
She added that because they've been together for 15 years it can be "easy to forget" Valentine's Day, "but actually it nice to just have a little day together."
Christine and Paddy have grown even closer over the past year as they continued to raise their three children – who have all been diagnosed with autism.
Last year, Christine shared the news that she had been diagnosed with the development disability herself and that Paddy has been her rock as she grows to understand the condition.
Elsewhere in her chat with Jess, Christine explained how Paddy helps her in situations she finds stressful.
She said that she tends to avoid restaurants "like the plague" because she is "really particular with food" and that can make her feel overwhelmed.
Recalling past experiences, she said that if a restaurant is busy or people talk to her, she can "come across as shy or even rude sometimes" because of her reaction to them.
She explained that her response would be to "put [her] head down and look away," adding that people who aren't aware of her diagnosis may consider her to be "standoffish."
She said she will often get Paddy to order food for her, explaining that when she does it herself she may "overthink," "stumble" or her order "comes out wrong."
And she added "it's just easier for him to order" and noted that since her diagnosis he now understands that her reactions are because she is uncomfortable in such circumstances.
