Rio and Kate: Becoming a Stepfamily on BBC One - everything you need to know
The ex-footballer's second documentary following the death of his first wife looks at the struggles of becoming a stepfamily following a bereavement
Former England captain Rio Ferdinand's first documentary, Being Mum and Dad, dealt with the aftermath of losing his wife Rebecca to cancer – and earned him a BAFTA.
Now, the ex-footballer is back with a sequel following him and his fiancee Kate Wright on the months leading up to their wedding.
Here's everything you need to know about it...
What is Rio and Kate: Becoming a Stepfamily about?
The documentary explores what it's like for Kate to join the family after a double bereavement (Rio's mother Janet died two years after Rebecca, also of cancer). Wright integrates into the family and becomes a stepmother to Ferdinand's three children Lorenz, Tate and Tia, but it's not a smooth ride.
Is there a review?
Yes, Radio Times critic David Butcher had this to say about the documentary:
Ex-footballer Rio Ferdinand’s confessional and Bafta-winning 2017 documentary Being Mum and Dad surprised many people, showing him as a vulnerable widower struggling to cope with bereavement after the death in 2015 of his wife, Rebecca. This sequel finds Ferdinand in a new relationship: his fiancée, reality TV star Kate Wright, has moved into the family’s Kent home and is now very much taking the role of mother to his three children.
But that isn’t proving easy. The focus of the programme is on how hard it is for step-parents to take on that role – and for kids to adjust to change on top of the grief they feel. “There’s no manual that tells you how to become a stepmum,” says Kate, although the programme itself feels like a good start.
While Kate opens up about the challenges of overthinking things or feeling judged by the extended family, there are heartbreaking scenes at a child bereavement group where we see kids break down as they remember – or worse, don’t remember – their parents.
When is Rio and Kate: Becoming a Stepfamily on TV?
The documentary will air on BBC One on Monday 10th February at 9pm. It will also be available to watch on iPlayer shortly after broadcast.
