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Christine McGuinness says there may be genetic link as all three of her children have autism

Christine McGuinness (Keith Mayhew/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Christine McGuinness has three children with husband Paddy. (SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Christine McGuinness has said she's been told there could be a genetic link as all three of her children have autism.

The star and her husband Paddy McGuinness are parents to eight-year-old twins Leo and Penelope and five-year-old Felicity, who are all on the autistic spectrum.

Appearing on This Morning, Christine said the couple are doing a documentary with the BBC as they are “exploring this a lot more because we want to know how and why this has happened”.

Read more: Christine McGuinness teases husband Paddy as he forgets wedding anniversary

"I believe there is a genetic link there,” she told hosts Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes.

“Everyone seems to think there's a genetic link there."

Leo and Penelope were diagnosed with autism in 2017, and in 2020 the family were told that their youngest daughter also had the disorder.

Christine, 33, has previously been open about the struggles her children have faced during the coronavirus lockdowns.

Paddy McGuinness (right) and Christine McGuinness attending the National Television Awards 2019 held at the O2 Arena, London. Photo credit should read: Doug Peters/EMPICS
Paddy McGuinness and Christine McGuinness at an awards show. (EMPICS)

And earlier this year she said their speech had been affected.

“They've regressed quite a lot,” she said on ITV’s Loose Women.

“Again, speech doesn't come naturally to them. I spent years going to speech and language therapy with the children and I still do, but they have all gone backwards with their speech and communication skills.

Read more: Christine McGuinness says her children are 'struggling' with coronavirus lockdown

“My daughter, my youngest daughter Felicity, developed a stutter over the first lockdown, which was never there before.”

Christine is set to appear in Tonight’s Hidden Disabilities: What’s The Truth? programme on ITV on Thursday.

Watch: Paddy McGuinness has blasted Simon Cowell's parenting skills