Christine McGuinness feels "devastated" for her younger self after her autism diagnosis.
Christine McGuinness is to explore female autism for a new documentary
The 34-year-old model - who is married to comedian Paddy McGuinness - was diagnosed with the neurodevelopmental disorder in January 2022 and admitted that while it has come as a "positive" thing, she wishes it had happened sooner in life.
Speaking on her upcoming documentary, 'The Secret World of Autistic Women and Girls', she said: "My diagnosis is a positive thing and a big relief. But it’s just the devastation I feel for myself as a child. I’m heartbroken for that Christine."
The former 'Real Housewives of Cheshire' star - who has eight-year-old twins Penelope and Leo, and six-year-old daughter Felicity with Paddy, all three of whom have also been diagnosed with autism - previously spoke of how she could now make sense of things with the diagnosis and could relate to the behaviour of her children.
She said: "My issues with food, my social struggles, how hard I find it to make friends and stay focused, and my indecisiveness. The way I float through life reminds me of how my eldest daughter Penelope is. It all makes sense now. And as much as I’m not totally surprised, it’s still been emotional for me to accept."
A spokesperson for 'The Secret World of Autistic Women and Girls' - which will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer later this year - explained that the hour-long documentary will explore the "untold story" of how women have been "ignored" when it comes to autism, and it will see Christine venture on a "heartfelt journey" in search of answers.
The BBC said: "The hour-long documentary will uncover the untold story of how autism in women and girls has been ignored and misunderstood by science and society – often seen as something mostly affecting men – raising new and shocking questions around the effects of gender bias in diagnoses and support.
"Christine will discover this, and more, as she goes on a heartfelt journey in search of practical answers for the thousands of other women like herself in the UK, who are spending years living undiagnosed or masking their symptoms, to the detriment of their mental health and wellbeing."
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