Kate Ferdinand has admitted she still struggles as a stepmum and sometimes fears her husband Rio’s children hate her.
The 35-year-old former TOWIE star spoke on Blended. The discussion also explored how differently the couple handles children’s emotions.
Kate Ferdinand and Rio explain their parenting differences
During the discussion, Rio linked his response to tears with the way he was brought up.
He said he understood crying after a fall or physical injury. However, he questioned why a child would cry after being told no.
He explained that Kate takes the opposite approach, reassuring the children that showing their feelings is fine.
Disagreements over parenting are a recurring source of friction between the couple.
Kate gets reassurance about her step-mum worries
Describing those moments on Blended, Kate said: “I still struggle. 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.’” Co-host Priscilla Kessie offered a different perspective on those difficult family exchanges.
She suggested their willingness to express difficult feelings around Kate showed they were comfortable with her.
For Kate, stepping back from her responsibilities wasn’t the answer.
She said: “But you just have to keep pushing. You can’t give up. The dad can’t take your responsibilities away.”
Kate’s blended family
Kate is stepmum to Rio’s three children with his late wife Rebecca, who died from breast cancer in 2015.
Her stepsons Lorenz and Tate are now 20 and 18, while Rio’s daughter is 15. Kate and Rio also have two younger children together, aged five and three.
Kate moved into the family home in 2018. The couple relocated to Dubai in 2025, while Lorenz and Tate stayed in the UK to pursue football.
Kate created Blended to support parents navigating the reality of building a blended family.
In an earlier episode, Rio recalled that he hadn’t wanted a relationship or more children when he met Kate.
He said he had nevertheless decided to go ahead because he loved her. Tate has also previously described initially feeling that Kate was taking his father away from him.
He recalled happier periods when they were getting on well, too.
A later conversation explored his guilt about liking Kate because of his loyalty to his late mother. He acknowledged telling untrue stories about her during those early years.
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