Paddy McGuinness shares his hidden admiration for a famous person as rumors swirl about his ex Christine exchanging playful messages with Dan Osborne

Paddy McGuinness has confessed who his very unexpected celebrity crush is during an episode of Celebrity Gogglebox on Friday. 

While watching Celebrity Bridge on the Channel 4 show with Vernon Kay, the former Top Gear host, aged 51, caught sight of Countdown star Rachel Riley on screen.

Despite his recent split from his wife after 11 years of marriage, Paddy seemed unfazed as he openly shared that the mathematics expert, Rachel Riley, was his secret crush.

Confessing his admiration, he said, ‘There’s just something about Rachel Riley that I can’t quite explain. You know, that feeling of having a crush on a celebrity that you wouldn’t expect.’

Vernon replied: ‘She’s a United fan,’ which prompted Paddy to recoil. ‘Oh I’ve gone right off her!’ he declared as he looked visibly horrified.

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Paddy McGuinness has confessed who his very unexpected celebrity celebrity crush is during an episode of Celebrity Gogglebox on Friday

The former Top Gear host, 51, who split from his wife and mother of his three children Christine (pictured) in 2022 after 11 years of marriage, was watching the show alongside fellow Radio 2 presenter Vernon Kay of when Countdown star Rachel Riley appeared on screen

Paddy’s secret crush Rachel is currently single, after she and her husband, former Strictly Come Dancing pro Pasha Kovalev, split in 2023 after nearly a decade together. 

Their relationship famously began after Rachel appeared on Strictly in 2013, shortly after it was announced she was separating from her then-husband.

Paddy’s cheeky confession about his celebrity crush wasn’t the only thing that got viewers talking — tonight’s episode of Celebrity Gogglebox also marked his return to the sofa alongside Vernon Kay

The Radio 2 stars, both 51, were back on screens as part of the latest celebrity line-up, and fans were thrilled to see the Bolton pals reunited 

Paddy’s divorce from former model Christine, 37, was finalised last summer, following their split in 2022. 

The couple share three kids – ten-year-old twins, Penelope and Leo, and seven-year-old daughter Felicity – who are all autistic.

Despite their split, they remain living under the same roof at their £2.5million family home in Cheshire for the sake of their young family. 

But earlier this year, MailOnline revealed Paddy had put their £6.5million Cheshire house up for sale.

But Paddy didn’t appear dissuaded as he confessed the mathematics expert (pictured) was his crush ‘he wasn’t supposed to have’

Paddy’s relationship has faced scrutiny in the last few years after his divorce from former model Christine, 37, was finalised last summer, following their split in 2022 (pictured in 2017)

It came as she pulled out of her scheduled appearance on Celebs Go Dating earlier this month 

Christine had reportedly grown increasingly tired of cohabiting with Paddy, who was happy for the arrangement to continue.

Speaking about their split, Christine said: ‘I’ve never spoken about the reasons for our divorce, and I don’t know if I ever will.

‘It was a difficult time. It wasn’t something that, you know, I just decided to do overnight, or that we chose to do.

‘We tried, and, yeah, there just, unfortunately, there was no repairing it, you know?’

Christine also pulled out of her scheduled appearance on Celebs Go Dating earlier this month, revealing she felt it was ‘too soon’ for her to date so publicly following her divorce. 

Christine had already flown to Ibiza to begin filming the series with the rest of the cast but told fans she was ‘returning home to her family’ after having a change of heart. 

Revealing the news on Instagram at the start of this month, she said: ‘I joined Celebs Go Dating with great intentions but have realised that dating on a public platform and the attention is brings is just too soon for me.’

She added she may appear in the future though: ‘They’ve said the door is always open for me which I’m so grateful but for now I’m returning home to my family.’

But more recently ‘flirty’ texts between Christine and TOWIE’s Dan Osborne have been unearthed. 

The former TV star, 33, and Paddy’s ex failed in their attempts to hide their growing bond for one another as far back as 2019, after it was reported the pair have leant on one another during their respective marriage woes. 

It’s claimed that the pair exchanged ‘flirty texts’ while acting as a source of comfort during their personal struggles and they were previously pictured together in March 2023.

But more recently ‘flirty’ texts between Christine and TOWIE’s Dan Osborne have been unearthed (pictured)

Sources had claimed that Christine and Dan comforted each other through their marital woes, and exchanged a string of flirty texts (Christine pictured with ex-husband Paddy  in 2019)

Dan and Jacqueline’s relationship has been plagued by accusations of infidelity, but they seem to be working through it

Sources had claimed that Christine and Dan comforted each other through their marital woes, and exchanged a string of flirty texts.

The model reportedly called Dan ‘D’ in their ‘flirty texts’ and they were also pictured together at London’s The Hoxton hotel in March 2023.

After news of their close friendship come to light, Christine reportedly said she is ‘absolutely adamant nothing sexual happened between them both’, with Dan suggesting the messages are ‘deep fakes or AI’.

A source close to Christine told The Sun that Dan ‘mainly led the way with texts’, which often involved ‘platonic stuff about their kids’.