Kate Ferdinand has revealed that she sometimes struggles with her role as a stepmother and fears her husband Rio's children may resent her during arguments. The former TOWIE personality, 35, discussed her experiences with blended family dynamics on her podcast, 'Blended'.
Ferdinand is a stepmother to Lorenz, 20, Tate, 18, and Tia, 15, children of her husband Rio Ferdinand from his first marriage to Rebecca Ellison, who died in 2015. Ferdinand also has two younger children, Shae, three, and Cree, five, with Rio.
Despite a generally close relationship with her stepchildren, Ferdinand admitted to moments of self-doubt. "I still struggle," she shared on the podcast. "Like there's been many times when I go, 'Oh my god, like what do I do? They're not listening to me. They hate me.' But you just have to keep pushing. You can't give up."
She noted differences in parenting approaches between herself and Rio. While she encourages their children to express emotions, Ferdinand said Rio tends to question their feelings if they cry after being told 'no.' "That's the way I've been brought up," Rio explained regarding his approach.
In a previous podcast episode, Tate Ferdinand spoke about his past difficulties adjusting to his father's new relationship. He admitted to trying to sabotage his father's relationship with Kate out of loyalty to his late mother, including fabricating stories about her meeting men and locking his siblings in a room after she moved into their home in 2018.
Ferdinand recounted an incident where a Valentine's Day balloon delivery for Rio led to Tate accusing her of meeting men on the driveway. This misunderstanding escalated, with rumors circulating that she had locked the children in a room when she was merely trying to hide a surprise.
Tate described this period as a 'half-hating' phase where he would oscillate between affectionate behavior and complete avoidance of Kate, admitting to playing 'mind games' as he navigated his feelings.