Rio and Kate Ferdinand have a remembrance room dedicated to the memory of his late wife Rebecca, five years after she lost her battle with breast cancer.
Former Manchester United star Rio found love with former The Only Way Is Essex star Kate Wright in 2017, two years after the death of Rebecca.
When the reality star moved in with the former England captain and his children, Lorenz, 13, Tate, 11, and Tia, eight, there were memories of Rebecca kept all around the house.
Kate said that she initially found this uncomfortable, so Rio came up with the plan to make a ‘memory room’ which would be dedicated to Rebecca’s life.
(Image: BBC)
Opening up about the decision in the emotive BBC documentary, Rio And Kate: Becoming A Step Family, on Monday night, the pair explained why they thought a room in remembrance of Rebecca was better than mementos dotted around the house.
Kate and Rio married last September and she admits it was difficult moving into the family home.
She explained: “I’m in a house that isn’t mine, and it’s got Rio and Rebecca’s wedding photos, it’s like an out-of-body experience.
“I’m just walking around the house thinking, ‘What am I doing here?’.”
Rio had the answer and said: “I knew she was at odds with it a little bit in her own mind. And it’s just about time.
“I used to say, ‘The kids aren’t ready yet, they’ve had enough going on. If I take them down, what if it breaks one of them?’ I can’t risk that at the expense of her feelings.”
(Image: BBC)
Rio admits that he was heading to a “bad place” before meeting Kate and was seen discussing the photos with his children in the documentary.
Rio explained: “We can’t just have pictures of Mummy everywhere. We decided to create a room for the kids, where they can come and be comfortable.
“And in here, they can do their homework, play on the computer, and then there will be a space where they can see pictures of their mum and nan and be comfortable because this will be where they’ll spend a lot of time.”
(Image: Internet Unknown)
Sarah Harris from Child Bereavement UK, which featured in the documentary, spoke about the grieving process.
She said: “We know from the many bereaved families we have supported that there is no ‘right or wrong’ way to remember someone who has died.
“What does matter is what feels right for the family.
(Image: BBC)
“Grieving is not about forgetting someone who has died but finding ways to remember them, and a decision about whether to have photos or where to have them is entirely personal and dependent on what individual families find helpful.
“The key is for families, including children and step-parents, to keep communicating with each other.”
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