Kate Ferdinand has opened up about the pressures of being a step-mum to husband Rio Ferdinand's three children.
The former TOWIE star, who starting dating Rio in 2016 and married the footballer last year, spoke to The Times Magazine about an argument she had with his children, which ended up in them telling Kate she wasn't their real mum.
Kate met Rio after the tragic death of his wife Rebecca Ellison in 2015 to breast cancer.
Discussing the incident, the 28-year-old revealed one of Rio's children said to her mid-argument, "You don't know because you're not a mum."
"The minute they said it, there was a gasp," she said, adding, "They've never said it again."
She went on to say, "But I'm not their mum. But I act like a mum and I see them as my children."
CHECK OUT: Inside Kate and Rio's relationship
Kate and Rio relationship (slider)
1 of 17January 2017
Rumours first started to circulate about a possible romance between footballer Rio Ferdinand and TOWIE star Kate Wright back in January 2017, after Rio was spotted leaving her house in Essex.Kate had recently split from her co-star Dan Edgar, while Rio's wife Rebecca sadly passed away in 2015 after a short battle with cancer.
2 of 17July 2017
Kate and Rio officially went public with their relationship, after being spotted out for a romantic drink in London. Read more on that here.
3 of 17January 2018
Kate and Rio are the definition of couple goals as they pay a visit to Disneyland Paris.
4 of 17November 2017
In November 2017, Rio posted his first picture of him and Kate together with a festive post on Instagram.
5 of 17January 2018
To mark the end of 2017, Rio shared a post dedicated to Kate. Below the cute AF throwback snap he wrote: "To say 2017 has been a tough year would be a huge understatement. Some dark moments but brightness has been spread around me and mine by this one in many different forms. Christmas being just 1 example, all the thoughtful little details that make things that much better for all of us ud83dude18 little throwback pic"
6 of 17July 2017
Kate and Rio went Insta official when Rio shared an adorable family snap featuring Kate and his three kids wearing matching trainers.
7 of 17July 2017
Kate then shared a similar pic, confirming she's been spending time with Rio's family.
8 of 17September 2017
Kate Wright reveals she's quit showbiz and reality TV in order to focus on being a step-mum to Rio's three kids, Lorenz, Tate and Tia.Speaking to The Sun, she said: "I'm taking a step back from the public eye, I want to keep my life private as I lived my previous relationship on TOWIE, my priority right now is Rio and the family."
9 of 17October 2017
After months of keeping us waiting and teasing pictures on Instagram, Kate finally posted her and Rio's first couple picture. And it's hilarious.
10 of 17September 2017
Speculation starts to mount over Kate and Rio's living situation, as Kate posts a number of workout selfies from Rio's home gym.
11 of 17October 2017
Seemingly stepping up to her role as step-mum, Kate shared a (slightly terrifying) picture of Rio's kids dressed up for Halloween on Instagram.
12 of 17October 2017
In October, Kate and Rio enjoyed a romantic holiday together in Dubai.
13 of 17December 2017
After months of keeping their romance under wraps, the couple are now living the PDA life all over social media.
14 of 17August 2017
In August 2017, Rio shared a snap from his family holiday in Portugal featuring Kate bang in the middle. He captioned the photo: "Decent day with the fam ❤ufe0f "
15 of 17January 2017
Kate also took to Instagram to reflect on the last year, paying tribute to Rio and his family. She wrote: "2017.... the hardest but most rewarding year yet! Ups & downs but I have gained 4 of the most precious people ud83eudd17.... Happy new year everyone, I hope your year is filled with health & happiness, keep your loved ones close ❤ufe0f❤ufe0f "
16 of 17January 2018
Just when we thought Kate and Rio couldn't get any more adorable, Kate posts a super sweet snap wearing a matching outfit with Rio's daughter Tia. Our hearts!
17 of 17December 2017
Rio shared another family snap, revealing Kate was spending Christmas with him and his three children. And their matching PJs are TOO much.
Kate quit her showbiz lifestyle in 2016 after falling for Rio, instead opting to look after his three children, Tate, 11, Lorenz, 13, and Tia Ferdinand, eight.
Since then, she's kept a low profile and has been praised by fans and Rio alike for her dedication to ensuring his children led a happy life.
However, she admitted it hasn't all be plain sailing, confessing she struggled in the beginning stages of their relationship.
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She said, "Simple things like I forgot to cut their toenails. I was so busy trying to do everything perfectly and someone pointed out they needed their toenails cut.
"Or cooking. I couldn't cook very well when I met Rio and the kids. I would burn everything.
"I would go, 'Is it nice?' and they would say, 'Not really.'"
The former girlfriend of Dan Edgar continued to reveal she started to have counselling after taking on her new role, which helped her understand she just needed to be herself.
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