Christine McGuinness Seen Cozying Up With Pal Duncan James Amid Social Media Hiatus

Just because she is not showing off on social media does not mean Christine McGuinness is not living it up. 

The television personality was caught snuggling up with English singer and actor Duncan James during a recent date in Liverpool. With this, the pair have reignited speculations about the true nature of their relationship after previously denying claims they are anything other than friends.

Even though she still lives in the same house with her former husband, Paddy, following their unusual separation agreement, Christine has seemingly returned to the dating world. "The Real Full Monty" star stepped into Ten Streets Social on Wednesday with James, who offered her a supportive arm.

After they enjoyed colorful cocktails, they took a spot in front of a backdrop carrying the location's name and cozied up to each other. At this point, the dark-haired actor placed his arm around his date, and she put her hand affectionately on his knee. 

The duo kept their looks casual, with Christine donning a snug, black playsuit and greenish sneakers and James wearing a tee, blue jeans, and green-hued sneakers. They both complemented their outfits with sunglasses, although the "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?" contestant used a stylish blue headband to keep her tresses from getting blown by the air.

As we mentioned above, the date comes after the autistic star shut down allegations of being romantically involved with the singer. Daily Mail reported that she had taken to Instagram to tell her fans: 

"You know it's a good night when you don't take any photos. Loads of you are saying "Oh we're so happy for you" that I was on a date. It was my mate, Duncan's my friend. Duncan's got a gorgeous partner and I love them both. But yeah, I was only taking the p**s when I said I was on a date."

Regardless of their relationship status, fans are glad to glimpse Christine as she began her social media hiatus earlier this week. Per The Blast, the English model shared via Instagram:

"Time for a little digital detox 🧘‍♀️. In a world of algorithms, hashtags, and followers, I really want to embrace the true importance of human connection and go back to basics for a bit 📵."

The former Miss Liverpool continued, "P.S. I'm not sure what I think about the whole 'social media silence' announcement thing, but I have lots of lovely followers on here who check in on me daily, and I don't want to worry anyone while I have a little quiet time." 

She also emphasized that she was taking the break out of a necessity to switch off and be present while being low-key.

Months after she and Paddy announced their decision to split after 11 years of marriage and three kids, Christine opened up about why they broke up. The moment came in her documentary, "Christine McGuinness: Unmasking My Autism," where the model explained that she stayed in the union longer than she should have because she disliked change.

However, things changed after her autism diagnosis, and it became her "mission" to 'reinvent' herself. In her words, as detailed by Heart:

"When I got diagnosed, I set out on a personal mission to figure out who I was, because I've played that many different roles in life and not really knowing which part of it was actually me, or who or which one was mostly me."

She explained that it was in the process of "clearing out" her wardrobe, which was filled with clothes that fit her image of how she "was supposed to look," that she realized people are not "supposed to look like anything or anyone other than" themselves.

"I've also separated with [SIC] my husband in the process, and I'm just, yeah, shedding, I suppose, shedding my old identity, trying to figure out my new one," Christine added. Powering through an emotional breakdown later in the documentary, she spoke about how her fear of being a single mom kept her in an "unhappy place," saying:

"I know being a single woman, being a single parent is an extremely vulnerable place to be, and it petrifies me, it absolutely petrifies me, but that's life."

Paddy has since shown his support for her and the documentary.