Kate Ferdinand Hits Back at ‘Gold Digger’ Claims as Rio Admits Her Life Could Be Easier Without Him

Mija MarkovicMon, August 10, 2026 at 12:50 AM UTC

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Image Credit: Fred Duval / Shutterstock.

Kate Ferdinand has hit back at claims that she married Rio Ferdinand for his money, joking that anyone searching for an easy wealthy husband would hardly have chosen the complicated family situation she stepped into.

The former TOWIE star addressed the “gold digger” label during a Blended discussion with Rio and co-host Cilla Kessie. Kate pointed to the reality of becoming a stepmother to Rio’s three children while they were still navigating the death of their mother, Rebecca Ellison.

“I always say if I wanted to pick a rich man I could have picked a lot easier one without all the kids,” Kate said. She told Rio that she chose him because she loved him, while acknowledging that their relationship has included both rewarding and difficult periods.

Rio also reflected on how dramatically Kate’s life changed after they became a couple. He admitted there have been times when he has wondered whether she would have had a far less complicated life without him and the family responsibilities that came with their relationship.

Kate Says She Could Have Picked ‘A Lot Easier One’

Kate directly addressed assumptions about Rio’s wealth during the conversation. “People think I’m a gold digger, I’m with him for money,” she said in comments also reported by The Sun.

She joked about sometimes feeling like an unpaid nanny because of the amount of parenting she does before arguing that the responsibilities she accepted hardly fit the idea that she chose Rio simply for an easy life.

Kate became closely involved in raising Lorenz, Tate and Tia after entering Rio’s family. Their mother, Rebecca, died from breast cancer in 2015. Kate later stepped away from The Only Way Is Essex as her relationship with Rio became more serious.

Rio Says Kate’s Life ‘Could Be So Much More Simple’ Without Him

Rio was asked whether he had ever felt guilty about the changes Kate made to her life and the criticism she faced after joining his family. “I’ve thought about that a lot,” he said.

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Rio added that difficult periods had sometimes left him thinking Kate’s life “could be so much more simple without me, and without us,” according to Entertainment Daily. He also discussed the adjustment required to make Kate a full parent within the household.

Rio said he eventually recognized that giving Kate room to parent was essential as they built their new family together. The couple have repeatedly discussed how boundaries, grief and changing roles had to be worked out over time rather than immediately falling into place.

Tate Initially Felt Kate Was ‘Taking Dad Away’

Rio’s son Tate has also spoken publicly about how difficult Kate’s arrival initially felt to him. During the June 3 Blended family episode, Tate recalled feeling that Kate was “taking dad away” as her relationship with Rio became more serious.

He said he and his older brother Lorenz would sometimes listen through a door while Kate and Rio spoke downstairs because they wanted to know what was happening between them. Tate later explained that grief and loyalty to his late mother complicated his feelings about becoming close to Kate.

In another discussion, he said part of him wanted to like and love his new stepmother while another part felt guilty about what that meant for his loyalty to Rebecca. The relationship changed over time.

Tate recalled becoming comfortable enough to regard Kate as his stepmother, while Kate remembered being struck by the moment she realized he no longer viewed her simply as another adult around the family. Tate has also spoken about his initial reaction when Kate and Rio decided to have children together. The couple welcomed son Cree in 2020 and daughter Shae in 2023.

Kate Says Comparisons With Rebecca Have Followed Her

Kate has previously discussed another form of scrutiny surrounding her marriage, being compared with Rebecca. During a July 2025 appearance on Should I Delete That?, Kate spoke about becoming a stepmother to three children “overnight,” navigating grief within the family and dealing with criticism directed at both her and Rio.

She recalled that coverage of her 2019 wedding to Rio even placed photographs of the newlyweds alongside images from Rio and Rebecca’s wedding. Kate has also written about joining a bereaved household in her book How To Build A Family. She said that if she could bring Rebecca back for the children.

Kate and Rio married in Turkey in September 2019. In her 2025 interview, she said comparisons with Rebecca still happened but that she no longer viewed herself as being in competition with Rio’s first wife.

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”