Christine McGuinness: 40 White T-Shirts

Summary

Sort Your Life Out Unpacked

Episode: Christine McGuinness: 40 White T-Shirts
Host: Dilly Carter
Date: April 7, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this heartfelt and humorous episode, tidying expert Dilly Carter welcomes TV personality, author, and autism advocate Christine McGuinness. The pair delve into Christine’s personal journey with autism, organizational struggles, and family life. The centerpiece is the unboxing of three objects from Christine’s home, each revealing poignant memories and practical insights into her approach to organization, parenting, and self-understanding.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Introduction & First Impressions

• Christine describes herself as “sometimes a 10, sometimes a minus 10” in terms of organization.
  • "Some days she's a 10 out of 10 when it comes to organization and sometimes she's a minus 10." (01:12)
• Christine’s clothing and environment coordination is noted as unintentional but pleasing to her OCD and autism:
  • "My autism is very happy. My OCD is love and life right now." (02:03)

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Quick Fire Home Truths (02:44–04:32)

What does Christine hide when guests arrive?

• She hides her favorite chamomile tea as guests tend to go for it and it’s her special treat (03:01).

One thing she’d love to get rid of:

• Half-jokingly says “my ex-husband," then admits it’s the cat litter tray (associated with her ex but now part of the home for their adopted cat). She dislikes it but keeps it for peace of mind (03:21–04:14).

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First Unboxing: The 40 White T-Shirts (04:49–07:44)

The Significance

• Christine reveals her “uniform” is a plain white T-shirt—comfortable, safe, matches anything, important for her sensory needs.

  • “A plain white T shirt is my go to. It makes me feel fresh, it makes me feel clean, it’s comfortable.” (04:57)

• She confesses to owning 40 identical white T-shirts:

  • “I’ve got 40 plain white T shirts.” (05:25)

The Struggle

• The abundance represents her difficulty with decision-making and sensory sensitivities around clothing.
  • “I have to look into everything. I have to try on every outfit. I have to see how it all feels. But I’ll spend so much time doing that when really... let’s just put a white T shirt on. Anything else will go with it.” (06:05)

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Life with Autism and ADHD (06:36–09:43)

Adult Diagnosis

• Christine discusses the complex emotions after diagnosis, the relief, and the challenges of unlearning and relearning habits.
  • "There’s been a lot of unpicking, there’s been a lot of unlearning and learning new habits and ways of thinking..." (06:44)
  • “Now I just know there’s certain things I need to do to help my nervous system stay calm and for me to be able to regulate my mind and my emotions.” (07:44)

Sensory Experiences

• She recounts a formative, uncomfortable modeling experience triggered by a “fluffy, high-neck jumper.”
  • “I don’t like things around my neck...I just couldn’t deal with that fabric...it felt really, really itchy and it felt claustrophobia.” (07:52)

Parenting and Diagnosis

• All three of Christine’s children are also autistic, which has shaped her parenting style.
  • “My diagnosis...was more for them than for me. First of all, it was so that...I could say to them, look, Mummy’s autistic too. Like, you’re not on your own.” (09:08)
• Organization and routine are crucial for a calm home and family life.
  • “If things are organized, it’s just a lot easier for us and a lot calmer if we’ve planned ahead, if we’ve got some kind of structure and routine.” (09:58)

Children’s Independence

• Encouraging her children’s independence with organizing their own toys and things is a source of pride and practicality (10:26–11:24).

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Second Unboxing: Wedding Rings (11:36–19:01)

What’s in the Box?

• Christine brings in her wedding, engagement, and eternity rings, despite her divorce—a decision she reflects on openly.

Symbolism & Sentiment

• She values the rings as keepsakes of a happy marriage, not as “bad luck”:
  • “There’s no bad memories in that diamond...that was a gift to me...a symbol of our marriage, which was absolutely incredible and still to me was a beautiful, successful marriage.” (12:26)

On Divorce and Family

• Removing the rings was emotionally difficult, especially when her daughter noticed.
  • “Taking the rings off was really, really hard...I found it even more harder when my daughters noticed.” (13:46)
• Despite separating, she and her ex-husband (Paddy/Patrick) still cohabit to maintain stability for their autistic children.
  • “It’s like a comedy show, honestly...We genuinely do just get on and laugh and it just works." (14:43)
• The family shares the home equally, routine largely unchanged except for separate bedrooms.
  • “We both use all of the house. We’re both welcome to go in any room. It’s our house. Nothing’s really changed.” (15:39)

Navigating Change & The Public Eye

• Christine discusses the slow approach to change ("a slower change" is preferable) and awkwardness around the concept of dating and public speculation.
• She keeps her rings and wedding dress as they are positive symbols and potential heirlooms for her children (18:09–18:34).
  • “I’m very lucky that it’s not doing me any harm keeping anything from the marriage in my home. Including my ex husband.” (18:34)

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Third Unboxing: The Bag-for-Life Collection (20:08–27:41)

The Habit’s Origin

• Christine connects her habit of collecting bags-for-life with her upbringing on a Liverpool council estate.
  • “I’m a very proud council estate kid...I still have these carrier bags just in the kitchen hung up for the rubbish. A little bit of comfort and nostalgia...” (20:35)

Decluttering Dilemma

• She owns hundreds of bags and has even tried origami to store them.
  • “I even googled how to store them and I watched a lady do an origami...that took too long.” (21:13)
• Dilly offers practical decluttering tips: donate excess bags via supermarket or online services (21:22–22:05).

Reflections on Childhood & Mother’s Influence

• Christine recalls a loving but humble upbringing, raised by her single mother, and draws strength from her mother’s determination.
  • “My mum really makes me believe that everything will be fine. Even throughout my divorce, throughout my diagnosis...” (22:54)

Relationship with Her Father

• Reveals her father’s history of drug addiction and how it shaped her appreciation for her children's close relationship with their dad.
  • “He’s now recovered...but he was a heroin addict...It certainly had a big impact on my life, not having my dad around.” (23:39)
  • “No matter what’s happened between me and Patrick, I would never involve the children in anything. And he’s actually an amazing dad.” (24:35)

Family Decluttering Dynamics

• Both Christine and her ex collect bags (Patrick is more ruthless in decluttering, even throwing things away when she's out).
  • “He’ll have a massive clear out...he knows to wait until I’m gone.” (25:14)
• Christine’s decluttering process involves a slow, sentimental "process of elimination."
  • “I’ll move them out of my wardrobe and into like a box...Then it will be moved up to the top floor...Then if it’s there for three years...it’s supposed to come out at that point, but sometimes it makes its way back.” (27:04)

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

On Self-Acceptance

"Now I just know there’s certain things I need to do to help my nervous system stay calm and for me to be able to regulate my mind and my emotions."
— Christine McGuinness (07:42)

On Marriage and Keepsakes

"There’s no bad memories in that diamond...that was a gift to me...a symbol of our marriage, which was absolutely incredible and still to me was a beautiful, successful marriage."
— Christine McGuinness (12:26)

On Parenting and Breaking Cycles

"No matter what’s happened between me and Patrick, I would never involve the children in anything. And he’s actually an amazing dad."
— Christine McGuinness (24:35)

On Organization with Autism

"Our minds are very, very full, very chaotic, very busy overthinking all of the time...If things are organized, it’s just a lot easier for us and a lot calmer if we’ve planned ahead."
— Christine McGuinness (09:58)

On Independence (for children)

"They can go help themselves. And that’s quite good. It’s independent."
— Christine McGuinness (10:49)

On Decluttering Strategies

"I do a challenge…a 30 day challenge…by day 30, you’ve got rid of 465 items from your house."
— Dilly Carter (26:02)

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What Will She Keep, Donate, and Sell? (27:42–27:53)

• Donate the bags: “Donate the bags.” (27:42)
• Sell the white T-shirts: “I’ll sell the white T shirt...and I can buy another one.” (27:48–27:49)
• Keep the rings: “Keep the rings, of course.” (27:53)

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Practical Organization Tips (Scattered throughout)

• Reduce decision fatigue by adopting a personal "uniform."
• Involve children in organizing their own spaces for independence.
• Use online deliveries or in-store recycling points to streamline bag-for-life clutter.
• Use a gradual approach (30 day declutter challenge) if you struggle to part with items.

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Episode Tone

• Honest, touching, humorous, and warm. Christine is candid about her personal challenges and joys, making her relatable. Dilly is empathetic, practical, and supportive throughout.

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:44 – Quick fire home truths
• 04:49 – First unboxing: White T-shirt segment
• 06:36 – Discussion on autism/ADHD, diagnosis, and parenting
• 11:36 – Second unboxing: Wedding/Eternity rings and family dynamics
• 20:14 – Third unboxing: Bag-for-life and connection to childhood
• 25:13 – Decluttering challenge and Christine’s slow process
• 27:42 – “Keep, Sell, Donate” decisions and wrap-up

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Summary

This episode weaves together practical organizing advice, relatable parental anecdotes, and Christine's unique insights as a neurodivergent mother. Her candor about holding onto sentimental items, navigating family change, and passing on resilience offers encouragement for listeners facing their own decluttering dilemmas—emotional or physical. The gentle humor and supportive interplay between Dilly and Christine make the episode rich, insightful, and genuinely motivating for anyone wanting to "sort their life out."

Transcript

[Christine McGinnis]

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the uk.

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[Dilly Carter]

This is Sort yout Life Out Unpacked with Me, Dilly Carter. Every episode, a celebrity guest will hand over three boxes, each containing an item from their own home. We'll unbox them together and hear plenty of memories and stories too. Along the way, there'll be simple tips to help you sort your own life out. This episode I'm joined by a documentary host and a model who grew up in Merseyside. She's got three kids and says that some days she's a 10 out of 10 when it comes to organization and sometimes she's a minus 10. It's TV personality, author and autism advocate Christine McGinnis.

[Christine McGinnis]

Hello. Thank you so much for having me.

[Dilly Carter]

Oh, welcome. And I have to say Christine has walked in and she looks like impeccably dressed to match the set. Everything she's wearing blends in beautifully. You look so stunning sat on that leopard print chair.

[Christine McGinnis]

My autism is very happy. My OCD is love and life right now.

[Dilly Carter]

Your mugs match your blouse, your trousers match my cushion.

[Christine McGinnis]

It wasn't planned.

[Dilly Carter]

This was not planned at all. But you are blending in beautifully already. So welcome and thank you so much for being here. I mean, let's just talk about that. A 10 and a minus 10. They are worlds apart. How are you feeling today?

[Christine McGinnis]

Just a neutral. I'm where I'm supposed to be. I match the. So I'm gonna give myself a 10 out of 10. Oh no. I was a little bit late so I had a bit of being unorganised this morning. So.

[Dilly Carter]

Okay, why were you unorganized this morning?

[Christine McGinnis]

Wondering what to wear. Swapping and changing me trainers 10 times, then not getting in my cab on time, so I got a line by.

[Dilly Carter]

But I'm here, you're here. And we're very grateful you are. It's almost time to unbox your items from home. But first I'm gonna ask you a few quick fire home truths. What do you hide in a cupboard when guests turn up unannounced?

[Christine McGinnis]

Oh, my chamomile tea.

[Dilly Carter]

Chamomile tea. You hide.

[Christine McGinnis]

Yeah, I do.

[Dilly Carter]

Why would you need to hide the tea?

[Christine McGinnis]

Because we do have loads and I'm not being tight, but everyone just seems to go for that one. It's my favourite one.

[Dilly Carter]

Oh, it's your favourite one?

[Christine McGinnis]

I haven't got one. When I'm on one, I'm like.

[Dilly Carter]

So you're like, I've got every tea, just not chamomile.

[Christine McGinnis]

Keep a little bit for me over there. Yeah.

[Dilly Carter]

What's the one thing in your house you would love to get rid of?

[Christine McGinnis]

Um, I nearly said my ex husband, but we'll let him stay for now because he's really helpful. He's helpful. He's helpful. We get our mouth at least.

[Dilly Carter]

He's helpful. That's one thing.

[Christine McGinnis]

No, he could still be lost without him. Actually, this came with my ex husband, actually. So this cat, Millie just turned up. It was God knows whose cat. I was worried it might have been the neighbors.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah.

[Christine McGinnis]

But it just kept coming into the house. And it was Patrick's fault that the cat now lives with us. He would blame it on the kids. And I love the cat. The cat can stay. I don't like the cat litter tray. It's just there. There's nowhere nice for it to go. You can't really decorate it, can't really disguise it. It is what it is. And the cat doesn't even use it. But because I can't bear the thought of the cat just having an accident one day and I choose to just keep the cat litter tray there by the back door. But I just. I don't like it. I want it gone.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah. For those of you that don't know, Christine was married to Paddy McGuinness. So as you just called him Patrick.

[Christine McGinnis]

Yeah, Patrick. So. Well, I met him. I was 19. So a long, long time ago. And we were married for 15 years.

[Dilly Carter]

Do you always call him Patrick?

[Christine McGinnis]

Patrick? I've always got souls. I know him as Patrick. So he's still Patrick.

[Dilly Carter]

He's still Patrick to you. I love that. Shall we have a look at your first box? I am so excited to see what's in this, because I just. I have no idea what's in these boxes. Okay. So I'm opening the first box. It's a small box.

[Angela Scanlon]

Hmm.

[Dilly Carter]

Okay. It is literally just a white T shirt. What does this white T shirt signify

[Christine McGinnis]

when I'm struggling to make decisions? Because that is something I struggle with. With clothes in particular, what to wear or what fabric I can tolerate that day. Because I do have quite sensitive skin. A plain white T shirt is my go to. It makes me feel fresh, it makes me feel clean, it's comfortable, kind of matches everything, but. But as I was getting this white T shirt out to bring here to talk about it, I counted how many I had and I knew that I had a lot.

[Dilly Carter]

How many?

[Christine McGinnis]

I've got 40 plain white T shirts.

[Dilly Carter]

40 plain white T shirts?

[Christine McGinnis]

Yeah. And it's something that I'll probably keep doing is just go and get another plain white T shirt.

[Dilly Carter]

So would you say that these T shirts are your uniform?

[Christine McGinnis]

Then we go to safe safety. Yeah, that works. That's fine. If I'm having a day where I'm really, really overthinking what I look like or what I'm wearing, a plain white T shirt, I think, just always makes me feel fresh and clean. But I've realized that I have definitely got far too many. I just don't really know how to declutter the plain white T shirt because I always need a plain white T shirt.

[Dilly Carter]

Is that something that has become a real problem in your everyday getting ready?

[Christine McGinnis]

Yeah. And it has been since I was a child. I was talking to my mum about this and she said, you've always been a nightmare. I'd take you to 10 different shops and we'd end up back in the first one getting the first outfit. Because I don't wanna say I'll waste time because in my mind, it's like I have to look into everything. I have to try on every outfit. I have to see how it all feels. But I'll spend so much time doing that when really, if I just clean my mind, take a minute and go, okay, I'm wasting time there. Let's just put a white T shirt on. Anything else will go with it and then I can carry on with my day.

[Dilly Carter]

You've been really open and spoken about your diagnosis with ADHD and autism. How did it feel being diagnosed as an adult?

[Christine McGinnis]

It genuinely has been a bit of a rollercoaster. And I know that's very cliche, but I think instantly think that you're gonna be relieved and you're gonna be like, oh, great, I've got all of these answers now. I know that I'm like this because of me, and now I can be me. It's not that easy. That's what we want. And I think that's what I tried to do. But over the years, there's been a lot of unpicking, there's been a lot of unlearning and learning new habits and ways of thinking and understanding a lot of things throughout my life, why I am the way I am. And now it's been five or six years since I got diagnosed. And I'm definitely a lot more relaxed within myself. I'll laugh about these little things like this, you know, with the white T shirt, I can laugh about it instead of thinking, oh, why am I weird? Am I odd? Am I a collector? Like, what is this? And now I just know that there's certain things that I need to do to help my nervous system stay calm and for me to be able to regulate my mind and my emotions.

[Dilly Carter]

And are there certain fabrics or things that you touch that instantly take you back to a. Before you were diagnosed with ADHD and autism?

[Christine McGinnis]

Yeah. I often think about this jumper. It was for photoshoot when I was younger and I think I was maybe like 18. It was quite a big photo shoot in Liverpool. I was modeling. I wasn't diagnosed, but I always felt different. And I had to wear this jumper that was quite a Fluffy, like a moped. Yeah. And it was high neck. I don't like things around my neck. I don't like polar necks because I don't like that tight feeling. And I remember saying to one of the assistants on the shoot, do you know when I'm changing into the next outfit? Because I'm finding this a little bit uncomfortable. And I remember the lady just saying to me, look, you're on a photo shoot. You're paid to be here just to wear the clothes like you're a blank canvas. Like, basically just be quiet. And it's only now that I understand that I just couldn't deal with that fabric. To me, it felt itchy. So some people, it might have felt really soft, but to me it felt really, really itchy and it felt claustrophobia. So I'm just always now always feeling stuff. If I go shopping, I won't buy something online unless I know it's smooth.

[Dilly Carter]

And so three of your children have also been diagnosed with autism?

[Christine McGinnis]

Yeah, yeah. All three of them are autistic and they've all got sensory issues the same as Me with the skin.

[Dilly Carter]

Do you find that because you've been diagnosed, it's now easier to deal with the children?

[Christine McGinnis]

Definitely. Honestly, it's been my biggest blessing. I think my diagnosis was it was more for them than for me. First of all, it was so that when I was telling them that they were autistic, that I could say to them, look, Mummy's autistic too. Like, you're not on your own. And Mummy's okay. Mummy has had a gorgeous relationship. I've got three gorgeous children. Mummy goes to work, Mummy drives. And I wanted them to know that, you know, nothing's gonna hold them back.

[Dilly Carter]

That's so important.

[Christine McGinnis]

But I think, yeah, the bond between us, knowing that I understand them, they understand me, it's amazing. They understand me better than anybody ever,

[Dilly Carter]

which is so special, isn't it? So do you find that organization has played a huge role in your lives now for you and for your children, in terms of how. How they deal with their toys, how they, you know, how their rooms are organized, how the house is organized?

[Christine McGinnis]

Definitely. Our minds are very, very full, very chaotic, very busy overthinking all of the time. It's like we're racing constantly, even though we can present as being very calm. So just taking some choices away, having less decisions, things like that. If things are organized, it's just a lot easier for us and a lot calmer if we've planned ahead, if we've got some kind of structure and routine in our life. It's just. And I think all of that comes with organisation.

[Dilly Carter]

The great thing is about organisation is that getting your kids involved really helps.

[Christine McGinnis]

I honestly, I think it makes it easier for everyone with the children getting involved. They love it and I couldn't stop them from getting involved because they naturally love to organise. But I think just for everyone, they're not constantly going, mummy, where's this? Or where do I put that? Or can I? They can go help themselves. And that's quite good. It's independent.

[Dilly Carter]

That is the most important thing about life, is teaching our children independence. Because it's great, isn't it, to have this role as a mother and be able to fold all your child's T shirts, hang them, put all their school uniform away. But it's also important that they learn to do that as well.

[Christine McGinnis]

Yeah. Even down to, like, the playroom, they have different types of toys.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah. Organising their toys correctly is so good for their creative play. So, you know, if you want your children to be creative, then, you know, make sure that they can get to Their arts and crafts. Make sure they can get to their Lego, make sure they can get to all their role play clothing, their dress up, their kitchen. And if that's organized, you know, it's only gonna teach them going forward.

[Christine McGinnis]

Yeah. Tidy house, tidy mind.

[Dilly Carter]

Tidy house, tidy mind. Oh, my gosh. You are a woman after my own heart. Christine, would you like to pass me your second box?

[Christine McGinnis]

Okay.

[Dilly Carter]

Your second box is a medium sized box, very lightweight. Oh. And in this box is a jewelry box. A very small jewelry box, Deep red. It matches your outfit actually. Oh, wow. Okay. And in this jewellery box, looks like your wedding ring, an engagement ring and eternity ring. Are there three rings? Do you mind if I take them out?

[Christine McGinnis]

Yeah.

[Dilly Carter]

I mean, I'm a magpie, I love jewelry. But tell me, I'm. I'm very. Being presumptuous and, and thinking that these are your recent wedding rings. Engagement.

[Christine McGinnis]

Yeah. Well, I've only ever been married once and I don't ever plan to marry again, so I'm keeping them.

[Dilly Carter]

Wow. I mean, they are utterly, utterly stunning. But I mean, this is a huge thing to bring in and talk about. So tell me why there's no bad

[Christine McGinnis]

memories in that diamond. And oh, I love that. I've always wondered what to do with them. I suppose a lot of conversation after divorce with other women, friends, family, most people will go, well, why would you keep them? It might be bad law, get rid of them. You could, you know, you could get money or exchange it or have it made into a different piece of jewelry. But that was a gift to me, obviously from my ex husband and it's a symbol of our marriage, which was absolutely incredible and still to me was a beautiful, successful marriage. We had a long, long time together. Three beautiful, amazing, incredible children still live in the same house, which I think says a lot about us as a family. Anyway, that was given to me and I always plan to pass it on to my children and I still want to do that. And then they can decide what they want to do with it. And it's absolutely stunning, so I don't want to get rid of it.

[Dilly Carter]

Absolutely stunning. All three rings are absolutely beautiful. And I love the fact that you haven't sold it, you haven't got rid of it, and that you're keeping it. Because I'm sure that a lot of people that have got divorced or going through divorces or, you know, their immediate thing is to get rid of anything connected to that divorce. I mean, tell me, first of all, you know how it felt when you took those rings off for the first

[Christine McGinnis]

time, taking their rings off was really, really hard. And I didn't think it would be because I'm not showy offy. I'm not really big into like accessories and things. But obviously it was the sentimental value and the symbol of the marriage. So taking it off, you do kind of have that feeling of, oh, God, this is the end of my marriage. And it was really hard. And I think I found it even more harder when my daughters noticed. When one of my daughters said, mummy, you haven't got your ring on anymore. And I just said, oh, Mummy just took it off. Cause I wasn't ready to really explain to her at the time. But now I just think it's an absolutely beautiful piece of jewelry, like I said, that holds so many good, amazing memories. And although it might have been the end of my marriage, it certainly wasn't the end of the my family or my relationship with my ex husband.

[Dilly Carter]

And how is it the fact that you are still living together under the same roof?

[Christine McGinnis]

It's like a comedy show, honestly. Like some of the days we sit there going, nobody would believe this, Nobody would believe our life. Like we genuinely do just get on and laugh and it just works. And I think we always naturally fall back to going, oh, well, it's for the kids. And it is for the kids. It is absolutely for the children because, you know, they struggle with change and we don't want to be going, oh, you're going to daddy's house for a couple of days and now you're going back to Mummy's. And our routine is all over the place with work. It's not like we're, you know, we're not on a rota pattern where, you know, he has them for a week and I have them for a week. It's not like that. We're dipping in and out all the time. So having that comfort of being in one house with the children is really good for me and him as well, actually. It does really work for us.

[Dilly Carter]

Tell me, how do you split the house up between you and him? Do you still share certain areas or is it that you just live separately in different areas of the house?

[Christine McGinnis]

Oh, God, no. It's our house equally. Like, we both use all of the house. We're both welcome to go in any room. It's our house. Nothing's really changed. Within the family home, we have separate bedrooms. It's literally just a happy home, a happy family home.

[Dilly Carter]

And do the children know?

[Christine McGinnis]

Yeah, they know. I've spoke to them. I spoke to them. It was quite a while after, but more and more that I was thinking, they're gonna hear about this soon. They're getting older, obviously, both in the public eye. So there's stuff in the media, and I spoke to Patrick about it. I said, I really don't wanna risk the children hearing something off somebody else. And the weird divorce, you know, might scare them, it might worry them, they might not understand what that is. So I spoke to them all and they were all amazing. They were all incredible. And I reassured them that, you know, nothing's changing right now. We're still gonna live here. Mommy and Daddy love you so much, and we're still family and we still get on. And, yeah, they're absolutely fine.

[Dilly Carter]

And how old were they when he.

[Christine McGinnis]

About a year ago, they were probably. The twins were 11. Felicity was 8.

[Dilly Carter]

So it's quite recent still, really.

[Christine McGinnis]

Yeah. Yeah. And I don't know if they fully understand everything, but they understand what they need to know now. And what they need to know now is that nothing's changing and we're all good and we're all fine.

[Dilly Carter]

So is your plan at the moment to stay in the house or you will eventually move out?

[Christine McGinnis]

We're open to, you know, different ideas, but right now it works.

[Dilly Carter]

It works.

[Christine McGinnis]

I think even for me, I would prefer a slower change. I think most people, again, probably think if you get a divorce, come get your freedom, live on your own, you can do what you want and all of this. But I quite like things being the same. I'm worried about living on my own, you know, it's not something I've done. Like I said, I was 19 when I met him, so.

[Dilly Carter]

Has it been strange to think about going and dating someone else?

[Christine McGinnis]

Yeah, all of it is brand new. All of it just. It took me, I think it took me about two years to use the word single. Yeah. Cause that felt weird. But, yeah, it must be hard being

[Dilly Carter]

in the public eye as well.

[Christine McGinnis]

I remember the first time I was just talking to someone and it went in the media as though, like, it was more than that. And that really. It made me realize that all of the stories and gossip mags that I'd been ringing my mates off of me going, oh, my God, have you seen who's dating who? Who's dating who? I'd done that for years and then it was me. And I'm watching it going, but I didn't even speak to them. I talked to my postman more than I talked. But I'm in a relationship, according to the news.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah.

[Christine McGinnis]

But yeah, stuff like that I found really, really bizarre. Really weird.

[Dilly Carter]

Where do you keep the rings at the moment?

[Christine McGinnis]

They're back in the box for now, but I check on them now and again and I put them on now and again and I think, do you.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah, I think, why do you put them on, Hannigan?

[Christine McGinnis]

I think about wearing them at events because I think it's just nice sportish jewelry. It's really nice jewelry.

[Dilly Carter]

Bit of. What did you do with your wedding dress?

[Christine McGinnis]

So I've still got my wedding dress. I would have brought it, but quite big.

[Dilly Carter]

Did you feel the same about that?

[Christine McGinnis]

Y. Yeah.

[Dilly Carter]

Gonna keep that.

[Christine McGinnis]

I do. I'm gonna keep it. And I love talking to my children about life, about everything. And I love sharing memories. And there's no reason for me to get rid of it. I'm fortunate it's not something like a need to sell it for money or I need to get rid of it because I haven't got space. I'm very lucky that it's not doing me any harm keeping anything from the marriage in my home. Including my ex husband.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah, exactly. I think if you are. So again, they're like, what do I do with my wedding dress? I've got divorce. I don't know what to do with it. I think if you've got children and you want to keep it, I think keep onto it. Unless obviously you want to let go of it, then sell it for as much as you can, get your money and run. But if you had any type of relationship with your ex and you have children, then I think it's lovely to keep it. Store it in a beautiful box, put it in the attic or somewhere. You can vacuum pack it if you need to, if you lack space, but just keep onto it for as long as you can.

[Christine McGinnis]

I agree the not to.

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[Christine McGinnis]

in any home.

[Dilly Carter]

Okay, should we move on to your third box?

[Christine McGinnis]

Yes.

[Dilly Carter]

Okay, so this is the biggest box. It's quite light as well. Let's see what's in this box. Okay. Gosh. So this is a bag.

[Christine McGinnis]

It's a Bag for life.

[Dilly Carter]

It's a bag for life. So it's blue and it's got pictures of houses on it. So tell me why I've got a bag for life in the box.

[Christine McGinnis]

I'm kind of gonna blame my mum for this one.

[Dilly Carter]

Okay.

[Christine McGinnis]

I'm a very proud council estate kid. Yep. And where I grew up, the rubbish was just always put in a bag. It was hung on the door. Every time you'd walk in the kitchen, it would fall off. It'd go everywhere. And now I live in this very beautiful home.

[Dilly Carter]

Yep.

[Christine McGinnis]

But I still have these carrier bags just in the kitchen hung up for the rubbish. And it's just that thing that I suppose a little bit of comfort and nostalgia and home life for me, what I had as a child. I kind of still have the bag full of rubbish on the side.

[Dilly Carter]

Are you one of these people that's got 2000 bag for life in their cupboards? Cupboards full of bags of bags?

[Christine McGinnis]

Yeah. I even googled how to store them and I watched a lady do an origami.

[Dilly Carter]

Yes, you can.

[Christine McGinnis]

With the carrier bags. That took too long. So managed.

[Dilly Carter]

Probably because you've got too many. That's why it took you too long. So number one tips for your bags of bags is declutter them. Do you get any online shopping to your house delivery? So you know that they will take all your bags of bags. So regardless of where they are from, number one, next time they drop off your shopping bags, say, can you please take all these bags? They will take all the plastic bags that you've got.

[Christine McGinnis]

Okay.

[Dilly Carter]

So they will take them back and they will dispose of them. So that's the first tip. Number two, if you don't have online shopping, then when you go to your local supermarket, they also have big, huge trolleys outside the supermarkets where you can dispose all your bags, all your crisp packets, all the things that don't recycle. Well, so they will. You can put them in there.

[Christine McGinnis]

That's amazing.

[Dilly Carter]

So that's another thing. Bags of bags take up so much valuable space in our houses. You know, they take up drawers, cupboards. All prime real estate.

[Christine McGinnis]

I like to call it mine cover three shelves. And that's quite a big space.

[Dilly Carter]

Huge. Yeah.

[Christine McGinnis]

That's a really big shot.

[Dilly Carter]

Imagine what you could do with those three shelves if you just didn't have bags full of bags. Yeah. So tell me what your house was like growing up. You mentioned all the bags everywhere. How else was, you know, life growing up?

[Christine McGinnis]

I grew up in Halewood in Liverpool, which is A council estate. And life was very simple. We didn't have a lot, but we were quite happy. And it was just my mum at home with me, my brother and sister. So she was a single parent, and we didn't have an awful lot, but she managed to just make the house a home.

[Dilly Carter]

Do you think you've learned a lot from your mum growing up?

[Christine McGinnis]

Oh, yeah, definitely. My mum really makes me believe that everything will be fine. Even throughout my divorce, throughout my diagnosis, throughout my children's diagnosis. When I think about my mum and how she managed with three children on her own, but she had nothing, I think, okay, if she can do it, I can.

[Dilly Carter]

And do you ever think how different my children's life is to the life that I had growing up?

[Christine McGinnis]

Yeah. But equally, the love is the same. I had love from my mum, and I had happiness of what I knew, of what was there.

[Dilly Carter]

Cause your dad left at quite an early age, didn't he?

[Christine McGinnis]

Yeah. So my dad, he was around till, I think it was before my first birthday. My mum and dad separated.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah.

[Christine McGinnis]

And. Yeah. And then from there, my mom raised on her own. My dad, he's now recovered, but he was a heroin addict. He was on heroin before I was born, and, yeah, he stayed on that for. Yeah, over 40 years. Yeah. He's been clean now for a couple of years, and he's doing really well and he's doing amazing. But it certainly had a big impact on my life, not having my dad around.

[Dilly Carter]

I can imagine.

[Christine McGinnis]

And also the fact that it was because of heroin, that took a lot of understanding from myself. And now I do understand it. And I understand it's an illness. I understand it's not choice. I understand he would never, ever in a million years have not been around his own children because of a drug if it was a choice.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah. And I suppose that's why you must look to your children's relationship with their dad and think, oh, my goodness, how lucky they are, because you've seen the other side of how it could be.

[Christine McGinnis]

Oh, I know what it's like to grow up without your dad being around. So no matter what, no matter what's happened between me and Patrick, I would never involve the children in anything. And he's actually an amazing dad. And it's gorgeous. It's lovely. Their bond is amazing. And, yeah, I never had that. I don't know what that feels like, but I love seeing it for my children.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah, I bet. What does Paddy think about your bag of bags collection?

[Christine McGinnis]

He's as bad as I am.

[Dilly Carter]

He really is.

[Christine McGinnis]

He's as bad as I am. He's better at using them, but he'll still always get more and bring them back and he'll put them in the cupboard with all the other ones.

[Dilly Carter]

Is he organiser?

[Christine McGinnis]

He kind of does a big sweep. It'd be like every couple of months. So he's not consistently trying to keep on top of things. I'm kind of like always thinking, oh, can I just get rid of one thing this week? Whereas he will build it all up and then he'll have a massive beer out, he'll get a skip outside and it scares me. And he knows, he knows to wait until I'm gone as well. Danny, I'll clear out the playroom.

[Dilly Carter]

Are you a skip diver?

[Christine McGinnis]

Yeah, I'm watching, going, hold up. My mum wants that. Hold on. My niece, my nephew might want that. He's just like, no, it's been there for three years, it's going. So he's quite good at doing it.

[Dilly Carter]

He's ruthless when he needs to be.

[Christine McGinnis]

Yeah. It drives me insane because I've seen a couple of my things in the skin. But it's okay. It needs steward. It does need doing now and again. Yeah.

[Dilly Carter]

I do a challenge, which is a 30 day challenge. So what that means is every day the day increases, you remove the items from your house. So every month that has 30 days, we will do the challenge. So day one, we remove one thing. Day two, we remove two. Day three, we remove three. Day four, we remove four. So you could do this with your plastic bags.

[Christine McGinnis]

What 30 things are you getting rid of that will leave me with 10 white tips?

[Dilly Carter]

No, no, no, not 30 things you get by day 30, you've got rid of 465 items from your house. We do day one, one thing. So you just remove one T shirt.

[Christine McGinnis]

I would struggle with one day.

[Dilly Carter]

You have to find two things in your house. And it's great for people that aren't good at having that, that immediate surge, like Paddy, who can just go, right, I'm just gonna clear everything and go through it. A lot of people can't. So this is a real nice, steady, gradual increase.

[Christine McGinnis]

So I have a process of elimination. So, like, for example, clothes. I'll move them out of my wardrobe and into like a box that's somewhere like around the corner of the dressing room. Then it will be moved up to the top floor, which is where I know I'm not gonna look at it for three years.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah, it just goes there.

[Christine McGinnis]

And then if it's there for Three years. The next process is that I'll go through and put it back in my wardrobe.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah. So it just goes around the house and comes back.

[Christine McGinnis]

It's supposed to come out at that point, but it doesn't. Sometimes it makes its way back.

[Dilly Carter]

It manages to go back down there. When you wander up there and think, oh, I haven't seen this for three years. Yeah. And then bring it back. No, this would be great for you, this little challenge. Thank you, Christine, for all your items. I appreciate you bringing them all in and the emotional side of everything that you've done. So thank you for that. If you had to, which would you sell, donate and keep.

[Christine McGinnis]

Donate the bags.

[Dilly Carter]

Donate the bags. I'm glad you said that.

[Christine McGinnis]

Yeah. I'll sell the white T shirt.

[Dilly Carter]

Sell the T shirts. Cause you got loads of them.

[Christine McGinnis]

And I can buy another one. Keep the ring, of course.

[Dilly Carter]

Keep the rings, of course. Very good. Thank you so much, Christine. You've been so lovely.

[Christine McGinnis]

Thank you for helping me sort my life out.

[Dilly Carter]

Pleasure. I can't wait to be back with you. For more revealing home truths, organizational hacks and celeb unboxings, sort your life out. Unpacked is presented by me, Dilly Carter. You can watch us on iplayer and listen on BBC Sounds. And don't forget to subscribe on BBC Sounds and have push notifications turned on to make sure you don't miss an episode.

[Angela Scanlon]

Hello, I'm Angela Scanlon, the newest member of the Apprentice family. And I want to tell you about a brand new podcast, the Apprentice Unfinished Business. And yes, before you ask, it is well worth investing in. Each week, straight after Lord Sugar's famous pointy finger has done its thing, we unlocked the boardroom doors and finally asked the questions we were all shouting at the telly. I'll be joined by the fired candidates themselves as they reveal what went wrong, what somehow went right, and what they wished they'd pitched when they had a chance. Watch on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds after every episode of the Apprentice. The Apprentice Unfinished business where the candidates are fired, but certainly not finished.

[Grainger Advertisement]

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