Joe Harker
Kate Ferdinand has opened up on the difficulties she's faced in being a stepmum to mixed ethnicity kids.
She said she 'had a lot to learn' when it came to becoming a stepmother when she married former England footballer Rio Ferdinand in 2019.
Rio had three children with his late wife Rebecca, who sadly passed away from cancer in 2015.
She explained that when it came to looking after Lorenz, Tate and Tia, there were things she hadn't 'really taken into consideration' as she tried to 'be the best step parent I can'.
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Speaking on her Blended podcast, Kate explained that there were plenty of things she didn't know how to do - like her stepchildren's hair.
She said: "I remember when I joined the family - Tate has curly, really ringlety-long hair - I just didn't know what to do with it.
"He'd tell me he brushed it and I'd just say 'OK then' and we'd just carry on with the day. And from then on I thought 'oh my gosh I haven't really taken into to consideration – I've got a lot to learn, here'.
"I've got a lot to learn in all aspects; hair, skin, food, background, what's happened to their ancestors just so I can be the best step parent I can because that's not something I naturally know."
"I come from a white household and I don't know all those things and I've never really - it might sound a bit ignorant - but I've never really thought about it in-depth and I think you don't until you're in this kind of situation."
The couple are expecting another baby on the way after Kate announced last month that she was pregnant, much to the celebration of her friends.
Kate and Rio have a son named Cree and the couple suffered a tragic loss last year after Kate revealed that when she went in for a 12 week scan, she'd sadly had a miscarriage and lost the baby.
She took some time off from social media in the aftermath of the tragedy, and when she returned, she profoundly thanked everyone who'd sent kind words her way during such a difficult time.
The former The Only Way Is Essex star later said she was 'in a much better place' after being 'so excited & planning a space for a new baby in our family'.