Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand’s son, Tate Ferdinand, has spoken about the difficulties he faced accepting his father’s relationship with Kate Ferdinand following the death of his mother, Rebecca Ellison.
The 18-year-old revealed that he struggled with feelings of guilt when Kate became part of the family in 2017, two years after Rebecca died from breast cancer. Speaking on Kate’s Blended podcast, Tate said he felt torn between developing a bond with Kate and remaining loyal to his late mother.
“At the start I felt so guilty for liking Kate and loving Kate. I felt guilty for my mum’s family, for my mum. It’s a really weird feeling,” he said. “One part of me really likes her and wants to like her. And then the other part of me thinks, ‘Oh, there’s a loyalty towards my mum here, what am I doing?’”
Tate explained that it took him about two years to come to terms with those emotions, adding that he often felt conflicted about how to respond to Kate’s presence in the family. “There’s not really a right or wrong thing to do. I was stuck in no man’s land for a couple of years thinking, ‘What do I do?’ But then after a while you go with what you feel and that’s it really,” he said.
He also admitted that his feelings towards Kate fluctuated during that period. “When I hated you, I hated you. Then we might do something good and I’d flip straight back into loving mode, and then I’d have to almost lie about what I did before. I was in a confused state of mind,” Tate said.
Kate recalled some of the rumours that emerged during the early stages of blending the family, including one occasion when a delivery driver dropped off a phone for Rio while he was away. “Once I got a phone for Rio and the kids were asleep. Someone came to drop it off on the drive and it was a man,” she said. “Tate told people that when Dad’s not there, I’m meeting men on the drive. So then a few people thought that when Rio was out, I was meeting random guys on the drive.”
Responding, Tate acknowledged his behaviour at the time, saying: “You just had a hater in the house. I used to be so jealous. Not jealous, I don’t even know the word, but I would try and get into all of your business.”
Kate also recounted another misunderstanding involving the children. “I said to the kids, ‘Right, go in that room and close the door’ because I had a delivery coming,” she said. “How it’s come out is, ‘When Dad’s not there, Kate locks us in the room.’” The pair reflected on what Kate described as a “hell of a journey” in building their relationship and navigating life as a blended family.
Rio Ferdinand shares Tate, Lorenz and Tia with his late wife Rebecca Ellison. He and Kate have since welcomed two children together, Cree and Shae. The conversation forms part of Kate’s Blended podcast, where the family discussed the challenges and progress they have experienced over the years.