EXCLUSIVE: Anna Williamson reflects on Christine McGuinness decision to leave Celebs Go Dating as emotional scenes are set to air during tonight’s episode
21:00, 19 Aug 2025Updated 00:18, 20 Aug 2025
Christine left Celebs Go Dating during Tuesday’s episode(Image: E4)
Tonight, Celebs Go Dating viewers will see Christine McGuinness leave the agency after an emotional chat with dating experts, Anna Williamson and Paul C Brunson.
Christine joined the dating agency last week, although it was clear she was struggling from episode one. We saw the mother of three struggle to decide who to take to Ibiza. However, Anna said that the most “powerful decision” Christine made was the leave the process.
In last night’s episode, Christine was told she’d be going on a blind date, although she told the cameras she “hated surprises,” and tonight, it looks like it all gets to much for her as she makes the “brave” decision to quit. It comes after Christine McGuinness says ‘it’s my fault’ and reveals surprising truth behind Paddy split.
Anna shared further insight on Christine’s reasoning behind leaving the show(Image: Channel 4)
Now, dating expert Anna Williamson has spoken to the Mirror on the shock moment she found out Christine would be leaving.
Although on screen, it looked like Christine was only at the agency for a week before deciding to call it quits – this wasn’t actually the case, Anna confirmed. The dating expert said the star “really worked on herself” in the time she was in the agency, on and off screen, which lead her to the “brave” decision to call it quits.
“Every moment really does count when you’re in the agency, and in real time we had Christine with us for a good couple of weeks,” she said. “It was really lovely to get to know her, and this is what’s so special about the show, it is real.
“Christine herself, nor us, could predict that she would get, a little way into the process and actually realise that this wasn’t something she was quite ready to do right now.”
“And often we only know that only those who can make those decisions when we start to work on ourselves, and that’s what Christine did and it was very brave of her.”
The revelation came as a shock to both Anna and Paul, who had no idea about her decision until she came for an emotional chat with them in scenes set to air tonight.
“We didn’t know until the scene you’ll see,” Anna told us. “As coaches, we picked up that she was finding the process challenging, everybody find the process challenging. Ibiza put even more of a spotlight on that.”
Christine decided to leave the agency after visibly struggling(Image: Channel 4)
Of course, the agents were sad to see her leave – but Anna said she and Paul ‘applauded’ the star’s ‘brave’ decision to walk away.
“It was very brave of her to come to us to say she had made the decision that it wasn’t the right time. Me and Paul absolutely applauded that. That is always the right approach, to be lead by our clients as coaches. They’re in the driving seat, we’re just in the passengers seat helping them stay on the right road that’s right for them.”
In a statement during the time of her departure earlier this year, the occassional Loose Women panellist said: “I joined Celebs Go Dating with great intentions but have realised that dating on a public platform and the attention that brings is just too soon for me.
“They’ve said the door is always open for me, which I’m so grateful for, but for now I’m returning home to my family.”
Speaking to the agents on the show, the star said: “I have been thinking quite a lot while we’ve been in Ibiza, I need to date in a natural environment. It takes me a long time to sit in front of someone.
“I’ve found the outside attention too much and I’ve found myself finding that I’m hiding more and that’s not what I want. I am ready to date and I am excited about meeting somebody in the future but right now I need to do things in baby steps.”
During her two weeks at the agency, Christine was extremely open about her past, opening up about the reasoning behind her split with Paddy for the first time. Christine once again opened up to the agents, as she revealed that ‘the trust was broken’ in her marriage.
Reflecting on the emotional chat, Anna believes opening up helped her along in her healing process.
“When we have unresolved emotional baggage from the past, it’s really important for us to establish where our clients are within that journey, and if we need to help them any further in unpacking and neutralising any pain,” she said.
The couple who wed in 2011, made a shock announcement in 2022, that they had decided to go their separate ways.
“Healing and vocalising and working through our previous relationships absolutely helps to feel a lot more whole and in a more intentional space to working out what you want and what you’re looking for, and that’s definitely something Christine found too,” Anna added.
“It takes a while to gain the celebrity’s trust, and she was very generous in allowing her to, you know, dropping her walls and trusting and telling us exactly what had led to her relationship breakdown and it was clearly a very emotional thing for her to talk about.”
Anna and the rest of the agents stressed that Christine left with her head held high, the door will always be open, should she ever want to return to the show.
Anna Williamson is a Relationship Expert and Channel 4’s Celebs Go Dating Agent follow here @AnnaWilliamson. Watch and stream the new series of Celebs Go Dating on E4 now.
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