Christine McGuinness denies romance rumours with football star Jesse Lingard and Coronation Steet actor Colson Smith

The Blackpool born model and television personality, who has three children with her ex-husband Paddy McGuiness, took to Instagram yesterday (October 23) to shut down two romantic insinuations that have been circulating over the past week.

The most stark rumour came out over the weekend, when the Sun first reported that Christine, 35, had been seen cosying up to Nottingham Forrest player Jesse Lingard, 30, at the Asian seafood venue Sexy Fish in Manchester.

Posting on her Instagram story to her 714k followers, Christine said: “Hello everyone now very quickly I’m going to keep this short and sweet because I’m embarrassed I have to even comment on this but I feel I have to. So I’ve woke up to a load of press today saying that I was seen cosying up to some fella in a bar two weeks ago – right. I wasn’t.

"There was nowhere in that bar to cosy up anyway and even if there was, I simply wouldn’t. This man approached me, inviting me to his restaurant- so I thought he was a restaurant owner, I had no idea who he was, no offence, I’m sure he’s a lovely fella – but I politely declined. I said no I can’t, I was at pride of Britain so I couldn’t go and that was it. That’s it, that’s the story.

"Absolutely nothing happened, I’m not in the right place mentally, physically, emotionally to be dating, to be entertaining anyone, to be cosying up. There is no body at all on my radar, I’m not texting anyone, I’m not calling anyone, I’m not interested. I’m focusing on my children, I’m focusing on my work and I’m focusing on me.”

In a second story, Christine blasted headlines insinuating another romantic link with Coronation street star Colson Smith, 25, who plays Craig Tinker.

Last week, numerous national papers ran a story claiming Christine had only signed up for Celebrity Antiques Road Trip so she could spend time with the Coronation Street star, with the original piece from the Daily Star also calling him a “hunk”.

According to the Daily Star, Christine told them: “When I was asked to take part in Celebrity Antiques Road Trip, they said, ‘Send us a couple of names of people you’d like to do it with’.

“And I said, ‘There’s only one person I want to do it with and that’s Colson’. When we met on The Games, we just spent the whole time laughing. We were the ones sat on the sidelines having a great time. We got on so well.

“Colson lives in Manchester and I live not far away in Cheshire. So I rang him and asked him to do the show with me.

“It was a bit of a ­reunion. We got to spend a few days together.”

Taking to Instagram, Christine accused the papers of twisting her words to make headlines, insisting she only loves Colson as a friend.

Christine and Paddy announced they had split in July 2022 after 11 years of marraige but the couple still live together with their three children.