Fans of Kate Ferdinand have been reacting to an emotional tribute to her stepdaughter Tia.
Yesterday, the former star of The Only Way Is Essex and her husband, retired footballer Rio Ferdinand, celebrated Rio’s daughter Tia’s 13th birthday.
As well as marking the occasion with at-home celebrations for Tia, Kate also took the opportunity to reflect on her relationship with her stepdaughter.
Last night, the 32-year-old took to Instagram to post two photos of Kate and Tia together, both taken from behind for privacy.
The first snap showcases Tia as a young girl, with Kate putting an arm around her as they walk together. A second, recent image then sees Tia and Kate wrapped in an embrace, with Tia now at the same height as her stepmum.
“How did that happen?” the reality star exclaimed in the caption of her post.
Following her sweet reflection, many of Kate’s 1.4M followers have expressed their delight at the glimpse into their relationship.
“It happened through the beautiful love and bond you have. Just gorgeous,” one fan gushed.
“Beautiful relationship you both have,” another agreed.
“How lucky is she to have a role model like you to look up to and to love her like you do. Her mum will be so thankful to you xx.” a third fan commented.
Kate first came into Tia’s life in 2016, when she started dating Rio following the heartbreaking death of his first wife, Rebecca Ellison. Rebecca - who also welcomed sons Lorenz (17) and Tate (14) with Rio - tragically passed away in 2015 after being diagnosed with cancer.
Kate and Rio later tied the knot in 2019, and have gone on to welcome three-year-old Cree and nine-month-old Shae.
Kate has previously spoken out about building her relationship with her stepdaughter. In an Instagram video posted last month, she detailed: “It’s a privilege to step in and look after you as a mother would. We drive each other crazy at times but we also couldn’t imagine life without each other.”
