Rio Ferdinand's son Tate has opened up about his initial difficulties accepting stepmother Kate into the family home, revealing he regarded her as 'a problem' and would tell people she was his auntie. The 18-year-old, who is pursuing a football career with Brighton, shared his feelings on Kate's 'Blended' podcast.
Tate admitted that while he was initially excited about Kate moving in, his feelings soon changed. 'One side of me was saying I'm so excited to have someone new and fun, and the other half was fuming: who's this random taking over my mum's spot, taking my dad away from me,' he said. He and his brother Lorenz would listen through doors to hear what Rio and Kate were discussing.
Kate, 35, acknowledged the challenges, saying there had been 'a lot of crisis talks over the years'. She recalled a time when Tate told her she was not his mum, which upset her, though he immediately regretted it. The couple, who married in 2019, have two children together, Cree and Shae, in addition to Rio's three older children from his first marriage.
Rio, 47, admitted that negotiating a blended family had been so difficult that he would not want his daughter Tia to enter into one. Tate agreed, saying he would 'preferably not be a stepdad' and would not advise his siblings to do so either. Despite the past tensions, the family now have good relationships.
