Kate Ferdinand says she broke down in tears after her husband Rio failed to buy her a card on her first Mother's Day with his family. Kate, who is expecting her second child with Manchester United legend Rio, told in a candid podcast joined by her husband that she was upset to not receive the token of appreciation for her role looking after his kids.
Kate became a doting step-mum to his children Lorenz, 16, Tate, 14, and Tia, 11, after the couple got together in 2017. Rio, 44, had tragically lost his first wife Rebecca Ellison to breast cancer in May 2015 at the age of 34 and in July 2017 Janice St Fort, 58, passed away after battling cancer.
Speaking on her podcast Blended, a celebration of blended families, Kate, 31, recalled how she'd 'sobbed her heart out' as she opened up about her past feelings on Mother's Day. Kate, who has a two-year-old son Cree with Rio, said: "I wasn't a biological mum. I think it was our first Mother's Day - maybe I'd been living here about six months, something like that.
READ MORE:
"And although I wasn't a biological mum I kind of felt like I'd taken on the mum role. For me, going from living at home on my own to taking the kids to school, cooking them dinner, I felt like a mum."
Kate told Rio: "I really thought I might get a card from you, and I didn't get a card from you. I felt bad to express that in front of you because you guys had lost your mum, and the kids have lost their mum. So I just went in my room and I just sobbed my heart out - seriously."
"And then I felt selfish for wanting a card - how dare I want a card? So anyone that's kind of new in this situation might feel like that because it's a weird one - I wasn't a biological parent so how could I expect that? But I felt like a mum."
Former United footballer Rio and Kate were first seen in public together in July 2017 and they announced their engagement in November 2018, sharing the happy news on Instagram with picture of Rio popping the question on a helipad in Dubai, watched by his children after letting them in on the secret.
Romantic Rio chose a helipad at Abu Dhabi's St Regis Hotel, with a view over the Emirate, to propose to former The Only Way Is Essex star Kate. In September 2019 they married with a three day celebration in Turkey.
Fans have been delighted to see Rio find happiness again. Kate previously said about marrying her 'soulmate': “It’s lovely being Mrs Ferdinand. He’s my soulmate. It’s been an emotional journey for sure, but it’s all worth it." In January Kate announced the wonderful news that she is pregnant and would be welcoming their second child together into the world later this year.
She said the Mother's Day edition of the podcast addresses how their family 'has evolved over the years.' Rio said the day has gradually changed over the years for him and the kids. "They lost their mum and I lost my mum straight after," he explained. "It's gone from a morbid Mother's Day to a slowly morphing into a celebratory day."
The footballing icon says they they raise a toast to Rebecca and his mum and celebrate Kate. "I think we've got to the stage now on Mother's Day that we're kind of a bit more used to doing occasions together. We all know how everyone feels and what to expect from the day," she said.
Rio said about that first Mother's Day: "You're in the house, I wasn't being aware of the role you're playing and how invested you are to go ... not to reward you, but to go 'let's acknowledge Kate for her part in she's playing in some way, shape or form, whether that's a card or cake or whatever it is.'"
He explained: "I got caught up obviously. I got caught up in thinking about the kids, this is a terrible day and how am I going to get through it as as well. I've got to go to the cemetery and then you got caught up and the person who is there putting in all the graft who is helping it all go along as well as it can go, you look at it now and you think 'what was I thinking?'"
He added: "Mistakes are made." The couple said that last year they asked the children if they wanted to visit the cemetery, saying "it's a pressure they dont need." This year they asked and it was a 'mixed bag' of opinions on what they wanted to do.
READ NEXT:
- Rochelle Humes addresses having more children after being left 'humbled' while solo parenting
- Helen Flanagan shares honest reality as she suffers supermarket drama after home blunder
- ITV Corrie's Georgia Taylor jokes about reason she's dating former on-screen husband after confirming romance
- 'Scared' Molly-Mae Hague told 'don't do it' before date night is 'crashed' with Tommy Fury
- Pregnant Gemma Atkinson gives 'bump update' as she makes observation about her bum
