Blended

Hey Guys! Well, it's been quite a journey since the last time we chatted, and I've stepped out of my little bubble to share a special life update... Shae's here!In today's mini update, I'll take you on a journey through what it's been like getting to know my gorgeous little girl and adapting to life with not just a newborn, but a toddler and teenagers! You know, trying to find our new rhythm and establish a fresh routine. But let me tell you, it hasn't been all sunshine and rainbows. Shae made quite the entrance into this world, being born with congenital pneumonia, and I'll be sharing that rollercoaster of an experience today.So, thank you for joining me on this incredible journey. Your support means the world to me.If you haven't already, become part of the Blended community by following and interacting with us @Blended on Instagram.Thanks for listening, and I can't wait to share more with you all!

Hey Guys! This is the last time you’ll hear from me for a little while, because when this episode comes out I’ll be 37 weeks pregnant and officially on maternity leave! To be honest I've been on maternity leave unofficially for a week or so because the tiredness has hit me SO hard.Before I go, I want to leave you with some final bits to round off this amazing series of Blended. You’ll hear my final preparations for pregnancy, an interesting update from team Blended and I’ve selected some of my favourite moments from the season for you to enjoy, one of the clips I've chosen does contains reference to miscarriage and baby loss so please take care while listening.I hope you’ve found this season of Blended as enjoyable and comforting as I have, thank you so so much for your support and community, it genuinely means the world and I can’t wait to share more with you guys on the other side!If you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow @Blended on Instagram.

Today on Blended, we are speaking to a guest that so many of you have been asking for! Former Queen of the Jungle, podcaster and author Vicky Pattison!Although Vicky herself isn’t part of a Blended family, hearing her journey to potential parenthood is very in keeping with the family stories we love to hear on Blended. Earlier this year she took the decision to freeze her eggs and start an IVF journey, but it hasn’t gone completely to plan. During a scan in January, the doctors discovered that Vicky had an ovarian cyst, meaning she couldn’t start treatment, luckily after a rocky few months, Vicky has been given the all clear and has started the IVF process.Vicky has been so open on social media in documenting her journey and showing both the physical and mental challenges that come with IVF. On today’s episode Vicky details the last few months of her IVF journey alongside sharing why she doesn’t yet feel ready for pregnancy and the scrutiny she’s faced because of this.It was such a pleasure to chat about her alternative route to motherhood, as always with Vicky this chat is open, hilarious and more than a little sweary!If you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow @Blended on Instagram

TW: This discussion covers displacement through war, and descriptions of death and violence so please be kind to yourself when listening.Next week marks Refugee Week here in the UK, and we’re honoured to be joined on Blended by the inspiring Waad Al-Kateab. Waad is a Syrian journalist, filmmaker, and activist. Her documentary, For Sama, was nominated for four BAFTA’s, winning Best Documentary, and it was also nominated for Best Documentary Feature at The Oscars.‘For Sama’ is a love letter from Waad to her daughter, Sama. The film tells the story of her life through five years of the uprising in Aleppo, Syria as she falls in love, gets married and gives birth to Sama, all while conflict rises around her.Her camera captures incredible stories of loss, laughter and survival, as Waad wrestles with an impossible choice – whether or not to flee the city to protect her daughter’s life. Waad has since settled in the UK with her husband Hamza and their young two daughters Sama and Taima.We chat about the resilience being a mum provides you, how war & conflict cause you to build families beyond blood, the impossible scenario of having to leave your newborn child in a different country and starting again in the UK for the safety of your family.Waad is an absolute inspiration, the challenges herself and her family have been through couldn’t be tougher, so to come out on the other side and speak with so much strength optimises the Blended story.Check out Waad’s incredible film For Sama, as well as her new film We Dare To Dream and please do follow @actionforsamaIf you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow @Blended on Instagram

Hey Guys! As you’ll hear in today’s episode, life has been busy over the last few weeks! So it feels like a good time to fill you in on what I’ve been up to, book launches, birthdays and my ever growing bump!Thank you so much for all your questions that came in from my Instagram Q&A, I do my best to answer all the things you want to know!We’ve got such an exciting last few weeks on this series of Blended so please stick around and I’m hoping to do another one of these before going off to have the baby!Please click here if you’d like to (pre) order a copy of my brand new blended children’s book ‘The Family Tree’If you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow @Blended on Instagram

Nevine Coutry is the founder of the UK’s first dating app for single parents, ‘Playdate’. After divorcing her ex-husband in 2016, Nevine found herself as a single parent to her 3 year old son. Nevine tried all the mainstream dating apps looking for a new partner but would often get ghosted after mentioning her son or her divorce.It wasn’t until a couple years later at a friends’ birthday party that Nevine met a single dad, and they hit it off immediately. They joined family units and Nevine became a step-mum. Although their relationship didn’t work out, the experience left Nevine feeling so enriched by the Blended experience that she decided to create her dating app.Nevine’s story is a chance to hear what happens when Blended families don’t quite work out as planned, as Nevine says in the episode, it’s bittersweet but she would do it all over again.If you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow @Blended on Instagram.

TW: Mentions of self-harm and suicideToday we welcome the wonderful Louis Weinstock to Blended. Louis is a psychotherapist, hypnotherapist and coach who has 20 years experience in guiding adults and children through some of the toughest challenges life can throw at us: loss, trauma, divorce, burnout and breakdowns.Louis is also a published author, his book ‘How The World Is Making Our Children Mad and What To Do About It’ gives children the tools they need to look after their mental health in an increasingly turbulent world of climate change, social media and war. Today's chat is all about finding the balance of using social media in between different households and how we can help our children deal with trauma by helping ourselves first.Louis has such a calm, warm energy and has such an easy way of opening up deep topics, which hopefully makes it feel relevant and you can take some tips that can help you and your family. To find out more about Louis’s book ‘How The World Is Making Our Children Mad and What To Do About It’ ‘click hereTo find out more about Louis’s charity ‘Apart of Me’ click hereIf you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow @Blended on Instagram. My book How To Build A Family is available now, and you can pre-order The Family Tree here: https://bio.to/KateFerdinand

Hey guys! Loads of you have been getting in touch with questions about Rio and I so it only felt right that I got him back on the podcast.We set the record straight on how we met, and as you’ll hear he didn’t make the best first impression… We also chat about how we’ve blended our lifestyles, how we resolve arguments (sort of) and there’s a bit of banter too. Safe to say Rio left the studio feeling like I’d taken the mick out of him but we do actually answer these questions honestly and we hope you find them interesting! If you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow @Blended on Instagram. My book How To Build A Family is available now, and you can pre-order The Family Tree here: https://bio.to/KateFerdinand

Here’s something very special for all the Blended listeners. A few weeks back, I did a live show with the amazing host of the Motherkind podcast, Zoe Blaskey. If you haven’t heard of the Motherkind podcast before, it’s basically a show where wellbeing experts help you find your calm, happy place in the madness of modern mum life.So today we’re sharing an episode of Motherkind where Zoe chatted to Reshma Saujani. Resham spent the last 10 years telling girls to lean in and fight to get to the top; however, after her experience parenting and working during the pandemic her message has changed. Find out what she now has to say during this powerful episode.If you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow @Blended on Instagram and you can pre-order my book How To Build A Family here https://lnk.to/HowToBuildAFamily

Hi guys, I’ve got something very exciting to share with you today, it’s been a long time in the making, but I’m so excited to say that my brand new book ‘How To Build a Family’ is out tomorrow - I can’t quite believe it!How to Build a Family is a nurturing handbook that I wish I’d been given when I started out my journey in a fully blended family. As well as my experiences, and those of other blended families, it has advice and tips from experts you’ve heard on the show like Julia Samuel and Lisa Doodson. My goal in writing this book is to encourage, inspire and support families everywhere.In today’s podcast I also talk about my other new book ‘The Family Tree’ which will be coming out on the 8th of June (quite the author I know). The Family Tree is a reassuring picture-book adventure that will help blended families feel seen and celebrated, offering gentle conversation starters for the youngest readers.I hope you find these books refreshing and useful, as always thanks for your amazing love and support, I can’t wait to hear what you think of them!You can pre-order both books by clicking on the link here: https://bio.to/KateFerdinandIf you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow @Blended on Instagram.

Today’s episode of Blended is with content creator, author, mother and in her words survivor, Grace Victory. In December 2020, Grace was seven months pregnant when she was diagnosed with a severe case of Covid. Grace was taken into emergency care and their son Cyprus was delivered via C-section. Hours after giving birth on Christmas Eve, Grace was put in a voluntary coma to treat her Covid. Months passed and Grace’s condition declined, Doctors only gave her a 5% chance to live. Remarkably though Grace has made a full recovery.Grace talks about re-learning how to live after a coma, missing your son’s first few months of life and being kind to yourself in the aftermath of traumatic events.Grace’s story is one of trauma, adversity and pain but also one of hope, defying the odds and getting a second chance at life. If you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow @Blended on Instagram and you can pre-order my book How To Build A Family here https://lnk.to/HowToBuildAFamily

Hey guys, I thought now might be a good time to update you with what’s been going on in my world because believe me it’s been chaotic. The headlines are holidays, hospitals and a whole lot of baby brain.I’ve also been getting loads of questions from you guys about how we’re getting on with potty training Cree and as you’ll hear, it’s been an interesting experience…I love checking in with you guys and just letting you know what I’ve been up to, I hope it’s relatable or at the very least you can have a laugh at my expense!If you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow @Blended on Instagram and you can pre-order my book How To Build A Family here https://lnk.to/HowToBuildAFamily

Raising kids is no small feat and I think most people listening in will be able to relate. Whether you are part of a Blended family or not, this messy, yet beautiful, chapter we call childhood is FULL of questions, worries and concerns and sometimes all you want is a bit of support so that you can feel more comfortable supporting your kids in return. With the new baby on the way, I’ve been encountering a lot more questions so I thought why not go back to parenting expert Dr Martha Deiros Collado who has got such a refreshing, calm, and empathetic way of tackling big subjects for some advice.And that's what I did, so today I’ve got 3 of my favourite bits from Dr Martha. This advice is actually from her podcast - Taking Sense - which provides a thought provoking lens on child behaviour that all parents witness and see every day and find ideas to support you and your child. It's honestly so great, and a little bit like Blended, it helps bring you closer to other parents who have similar concerns.The advice discussed on today's episode are from the following episodes of Talking Sense, which you can listen to here:How do I prepare my child for a new sibling?When can we expect our children’s big outbursts to stop?How to deal with others' judgement of our parenting?I hope you find this mini-episode as useful as I have! If you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow @Blended on Instagram.

Today on Blended, we’re joined by the lovely reality TV star, Lydia Bright.For pretty much all of Lydia’s life she’s been part of a Blended family. Her Mum Debbie and Dad Dave fostered over 250 children across 27 years, as well as having 3 biological children of their own meaning the Bright household was always a busy place to be!Lydia’s now a single mother herself, raising her three year old daughter Loretta.This chat focuses on both the Blended sides of Lydia’s life, the amazing and challenging experiences of growing up with foster siblings and becoming a single mother during a pandemic.If you're a single parent or considering fostering, the experiences and advice Lydia shares in today’s episode is just invaluable.If you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow @Blended on Instagram.

Today’s episode of Blended is all about positive co-parenting and the process of blending two families with the hilarious Rickie Haywood Williams and Natalie Harman.You may know Rickie from TV and Radio, he currently presents a Radio 1 show alongside Melvin Odoom and Charlie Hedges, but chances are you haven’t heard of his partner Natalie who remains out of the spotlight, this was her first time doing a podcast but you’d never know!Rickie and Natalie met three years ago and after a successful period of dating they decided to combine their families. Both Rickie and Natalie have daughters of a similar age from previous relationships, and the four of them have Blended in the last couple of years. Last August Rickie and Natalie added to their family and had baby Cruz, their first child together.Rickie and Natalie discuss all the topics that so often come up in parenting: How to navigate discipline and how to make sure you carve out time with your partner. They also give some great advice on maturity to make co-parenting a harmonious process.This episode is full of laughs, it’s a really heartwarming story that shows Blended families can bring so much joy!If you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow @Blended on Instagram.

Today we have a very familiar face on Blended in the name of ex-footballer and more importantly my husband, Rio Ferdinand.Rio finally comes on the podcast for a full episode to talk about how the family has changed from his perspective over the years.Rio also discusses growing up in a blended family, both of his parents finding new partners and how his upbringing impacts the decisions he makes as a parent himself today.There’s also a lot of banter in this episode, you can say what you want about Rio but he holds his hands up when he’s in the wrong and there’s a lot of laughs because of it!This conversation also shows a side to Rio you may not have seen before and gives a real look in to the inner workings of our family - both the happy times and challenging!If you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow @Blended on Instagram.

Something we place a lot of importance on in the Blended community is being really open and honest with our feelings and that’s exactly what we are in today’s episode with grief expert, loss author and CEO of the charity The Mariposa Trust (widely known by its primary support division ’Saying Goodbye’,) Zoe Clark-Coates MBE.As you may remember from her last episode on Blended, Zoe has lost five babies, but her ability to take the positives and honour life from these experiences is so inspiring.Zoe shares some great advice and tips from her book 'Pregnancy After Loss', including how to prepare for scans, coping mechanisms for stress and managing the joy and the fear of being pregnant after loss.Click here for more information on Zoe’s Charity ’Saying Goodbye’ https://www.sayinggoodbye.org/ and find her on Instagram at @Zoeadelle.If you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow @Blended on Instagram.

This week on Blended we have an inspiring conversation on single parenthood with author of the book ‘Liv’s Alone: Amateur Adventures in Solo Motherhood’, Liv Thorne. When Liv Thorne was in her twenties, and single, she would joke to friends that if ‘Mr Right’ didn't come along she'd have to take matters into her own hands and have a child on her own. When she was still single in her thirties, it stopped being a joke and she started researching sperm banks and fertility clinics. Having chosen donor sperm from a bank in Denmark, her first three attempts to conceive via natural IUI failed. Liv had said to herself that she would try 4 rounds of IUI before she would undergo the more invasive (& expensive) route of IVF. Happily, and somewhat surprisingly, it was her 4th round of IUI that resulted in a successful pregnancy. Liv gave birth to her son on her Dad's birthday who sadly died when she was 12. Her Dad had always called her Little Herbert, which is why her longed for son is called Herb. Liv gives us a really honest account of what it's taken to create her family through sperm donation, the financial burden, and how you need to be especially kind to yourself if you decide to start a family solo. As always, these conversations show that there’s no ‘normal’ way to raise a child, the main thing is to show them support and love. If you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow @Blended on Instagram.

Today’s episode of Blended is all about Mother’s Day, an event which can mean so many things to different people. That’s why for today’s episode I really wanted you to hear my husband Rio’s perspective on this day. Rio and I talk about how our family has changed over the years and how our emotions of grief evolve around Mother's Day as time goes on. Rio will describe himself as not having massive highs and lows in his emotions but he’s really getting better at voicing his feelings especially around grief, and our takeaway message as a family is do what feels right to you. We decided not to put this episode out on Mother’s Day so you can listen in the build up, afterwards or whenever feels right for you. If you're struggling this Mother's Day, please be easy on yourself, the greatest bit of advice I've got was from Julia Samuel, just turn your phone off and try to enjoy the day. If you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow @Blended on Instagram.

After her advice went down so well with you guys at Christmas, we decided to invite child psychotherapist and co-host of the ’Therapy Works’ podcast Emily Samuel back to Blended to answer your questions. It can be really easy to get caught up in our emotions and everything can seem a little bit overwhelming in parenthood, but Emily gives simple and actionable advice to use. We cover a range of topics including: dealing with grief, divorce, and how we can best support neurodiverse children (and for any parents currently experiencing the terrible two’s, I ask Emily how to deal with those tantrums too!) If you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow @Blended on Instagram.

Today on Blended we welcome author Lisa Timoney. Lisa has written 3 novels, including ‘Her Daughter’s Secret’ and ‘Her Mother’s Lies’, stories that are centred around Blended family setups. Lisa was adopted at a young age alongside her elder adopted sister owing to her adopted parents’ fertility problems. Lisa’s adopted parents are now divorced, putting her in the unique position of having 3 sets of parents, although she’s not reconnected with her biological parents who had her as teenagers. Lisa is passionate about changing the stigma around adoption and this episode reflects Lisa’s really positive outlook on being adopted, detailing a life filled with love and nurture. Lisa’s story is a really encouraging one, and the main takeaway should be that everybody’s normal is different, which is the epitome of coming from a blended family. If you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow @Blended on Instagram.

I have a very special guest today on Blended… finally my husband Rio has agreed to join me! This is because we’re so excited to announce the gender of our baby with you all. It was great to sit down with Rio and relive the chaotic way we found out for ourselves. As Rio says “it was a typical Ferdinand household gender reveal, it went wrong!” as you’ll hear for yourself… Rio and I laughed so much making this, we hope you enjoy listening to our little family update as much as we enjoyed recording it! If you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow @Blended on Instagram.

Today’s episode of Blended is all about celebrating and understanding different ethnicities within Blended families and discussing how we can become the most authentic version of ourselves. Adrienne Herbert’s life centres around positivity and motivation. She’s the host of the Power Hour podcast, a TedTalk speaker and one of the UK’s leading wellness professionals, but her story hasn’t always been easy. She grew up one of four siblings in a single parent household and being one of the elders, she helped her mum raise her younger siblings which meant she had to grow up pretty quickly. Growing up Adrienne’s father was distant, the only member on her Dad’s side was her Grandma but she lived a few hours away meaning she never had the chance to understand her Jamaican heritage. Living in a predominantly white northern town with a white mother with little knowledge on black hair or culture left Adrienne often feeling like an outsider. This all changed when Adrienne moved to London age 16 where she began the journey to better understand herself. She now has her own blended family, her son Jude is interracial and Adrienne has made sure he has the education about his heritage that she never had. Today’s chat is all about embracing your true self, educating and celebrating our cultural differences and advice for parents raising interracial children, enjoy! To become part of the Blended community follow @Blended on Instagram.

TW: This episode covers matters related to drug abuse and eating conditions. So please be kind to yourself if that feels too close to home. Today’s episode is for anyone who may be considering the option of fostering, has already taken the leap and needs some advice or simply wants to learn more about the processes and experiences of fostering a child. Our guests are mother and step-daughter duo Caroline ‘Caz’ Bullivant & Britney Coole. Caz welcomed Britney into her home when she was 12, and despite a rocky start, these two are now thick as thieves, so much so that Britney, now a mum herself, says Caz was the person who truly showed her how to be a mum. Caz, talks us through the reality of being a foster mum and shares some really inspiring nuggets of wisdom around the ‘best’ way to create a connection with your foster children. On the other side of the coin, Britney shares her experiences growing up and explains the emotional journey of foster care. This conversation is an example of both the heartening and challenging aspects of fostering. If you would like more information on the requirements and processes of fostering, check out the links below. To become part of the Blended community follow @Blended on Instagram. Information on Fostering: At the end of 2022, there were more than 80,000 children in care in the UK. It's expected that this number will rise to more than 100,000 over the next three years, which means more foster parents are desperately needed to provide children with love, nurture and support. Anyone can be a foster parent - you just need to have love to give, and a spare bedroom at home. Foster parents are provided with a fostering allowance to enable them to financially support the young people in their care, plus ongoing training and support, enabling them to provide the best care possible. Fostering People have been supporting vulnerable children since 2000, in Scotland, the north east, north west, West Midlands, east of England and Yorkshire. You can find out more about becoming a foster parent with Fostering People here: https://www.fosteringpeople.co.uk/ You can read more about Caz and Brit's story here: https://www.fosteringpeople.co.uk/resources/fostering-stories/foster-parent-stories/cazs-fostering-story/ For more information on fostering and its importance, the UK's leading foster care charity The Fostering Network has lots of information: https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/ The government provides information on fostering too: https://www.gov.uk/becoming-foster-parent

Trigger Warning: Themes of addiction are discussed in this episode. Today on Blended we have the brilliant author, self development coach and queen of manifestation, Roxie Nafousi and today's episode is all about building positive co-parenting relationships. Roxie and Wade are no longer together, but are passionately committed to staying great friends and being the best co-parents they possibly can be. They’ve gone against the status-quo and written their own rules on how to co-parent which includes holidaying together and a new approach to splitting the time they share with their son, Wolfe. Roxie has also navigated a tricky past, struggling with various addictions, self-worth insecurities and post-natal depression, but discusses how her life completely turned around after she had her son Wolfe, who is her bundle of joy. This chat is packed with honesty and so much great insight and advice on how to create a positive co-parenting relationship that prioritises your children's happiness. To become a part of the Blended community follow @Blended on Instagram.

Writer and Broadcaster Emily Dean is the author of the hit book ‘Everybody Died, So I Got a Dog’ and subsequently the hugely successful Times podcast ‘Walking the Dog’. Emily’s life turned completely on its head when she lost all of her close family in a 3 year period. First her older sister Rachael to cancer, closely followed by both her parents, leaving her as the key female figure to Rachael’s children and an orphan at age 45. This sudden change left Emily no choice but to clobber together her own Blended family consisting of her nieces, close friends and adorable Shih-tzu, Raymond. This is an emotional episode, a story of unconditional love, resilience and a tale of how loss forces you to step outside your comfort zone. I hope hearing Emily’s story inspires and gives you confidence for all of life’s unexpected challenges.

Hey everyone! I know I’ve been a bit quiet on social media lately, but I’ve received so many messages asking for an update on what’s been going on. Well… I have some big news to share with you all - I’m expecting another baby! I couldn’t be more excited, and I’m so glad I get to talk about this journey with all of you on these mini-episodes of the podcast. Sometimes when you share big news on social media, it doesn’t quite have the same impact as talking about it in person. That’s why I wanted to jump on here and share my thoughts and feelings with all of you. I’m really looking forward to the season ahead and continuing to share my journey with you all in these mini-episodes. If you’re excited to be a part of the Blended community, make sure to follow @Blended on Instagram. Thanks for listening and I can’t wait to share more updates with you all!

Welcome to a brand new season of Blended! In this episode, Kate speaks with Dr Martha Deiros Collado - a clinical psychologist specialising in science of childhood. Her mission is to make the science of psychology accessible to everyone which she does this so well on her Instagram and podcast Talking Sense. Dr Martha has such a refreshing, calm, and empathetic way of tackling big subjects - from how to manage anxiety to navigating tricky co parenting situations, as well how we as step parents deal with imposter syndrome and alienation. Dr Martha also answers the brilliant questions submitted from the blended community, and it's all just so helpful. Today's episode is all about actionable advice you can apply in everyday life with your family. To become a part of the Blended community follow @Blended on Instagram.

Wow there are just 4 sleeps until Christmas! To wrap up our mini-episodes I wanted to come on by myself to share with you all what my first Christmas was like coming into a Blended family and how our family has developed since. I share some of the new traditions we have created together and I’ve also got some quick practical tips which I found have helped me at times where things have got a little stressful, to help me enjoy the moment. This is a short and sweet episode which I hope leaves you feeling calm and ready for the days ahead. Thank you to each one of you for being part of the Blended community this year, together we are helping the world know that Blended families are beautiful. I hope you all have an absolutely wonderful Christmas and I look forward to seeing you in the New Year. To become a part of the Blended community follow @Blended on Instagram.

In the last of our Christmas minisodes, I sit down with a wonderful Emily Samuel, she's a child psychotherapist as she answers some of the questions you sent in that relate to your children's experiences of Christmas. We cover expectations of Christmas, managing children's behaviour, presents, and mental health around the Christmas period. These episodes are really short and sweet, but they're packed full of advice. Emily co-hosts the wonderful Therapy Works podcast with her psychotherapist mum (Julia Samuel) and sister (Sophie Samuel) - you can listen to Therapy Works here As always, we'd love to hear from you, so please do get back to me with your thoughts and feelings. So here it is, our blended minisode with Emily Samuel. To become a part of the Blended community follow @Blended on Instagram.

On Blended today we have a very special guest, Alex Willumsen who’s story is one that so many people have been in touch about, and that’s being a childless stepmum.Alex Willumsen is a parent/step-parent of 11 years to two boys down in Brighton. We hear all about Alex's step parenting journey but also about her and her husband’s attempts to grow their family themselves. Alex is an amazing women and she feels that being a childless step mum is a unique and often overlooked experience and because of this, she started a support group called “Step by Step”- a group for supporting step family/blended life - some who have their own children and some who don’t. To keep up with Alex and her Step By Step group please see the website: Step by step - supporting step family life Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/435013954196017/?ref=share Sign up to the step by step newsletter by Contact email: stepbystepbrighton@gmail.com Information and support around womb cancer: https://peachestrust.org/ Meet others in the childless community: https://gateway-women.com/ To become a part of the Blended community follow @Blended on Instagram.

It’s nearly Christmas, a time filled with joy and excitement, but also a time that can be difficult for anyone dealing with the absence of a loved one. A few weeks ago, I reached out to you on the Blended socials and asked if you had any questions around Christmas. We were inundated with your questions, so I decided to host a short series of minisodes to offer advice to anyone struggling at this time of year. Ann has worked in bereavement for over 30 years and is the CEO of Child Bereavement UK, a charity of which I am proud to be a patron. In this minisode, Ann answers some of your questions about how to help children and young people deal with bereavement and loss throughout the festive season. These episodes are short and sweet and packed full of advice. Ann gives amazing and digestible guidance to families navigating loss at this time of year. You can also find a wealth of resources to help young people navigate grief at the Child Bereavement UK website. Link: https://www.childbereavementuk.org/ To become a part of the Blended community follow @blended on Instagram.

Today’s guest on Blended is comedian, actor, writer and I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! star, Babatunde Aléshé. Baba joins me to talk about life growing up in a single parent home, and how his childhood was one of his biggest drivers in shaping his own parenting style. Baba’s Nigerian heritage and religion comes up too as it was a big pillar in his life overall which prompts a conversation about how to blend cultures in the family home. We also talk about strictness in the home which we have a good laugh about! It’s a conversation that takes so many great twists and turns. I just loved how much love and respect he has for his mum, and how he and his wife balance their culture in his home.

It’s nearly Christmas, a time which can bring so much excitement but also so much stress, especially if you’re part of a blended family. I reached out to you on the Blended socials and asked if you had any questions around Christmas: Be that grief, how to share the kids or anything else that’s causing you stress, and we were inundated with your questions. Today we welcome Professor Lisa Doodson back to Blended. She's an author and psychologist specialising in step-family dynamics. Today she answers some of your questions around splitting time over Christmas, making new traditions and the balancing act between bio and step families. These episodes are short and sweet and packed full of advice. As always Lisa gives some great tips and I hope it eases up the stress in the run up to Christmas. To become a part of the Blended community follow @blended on Instagram.

Today on Blended I’m joined by star of Teen Mom UK, Chloe Patton. We had such a lovely chat about Chloe finding out she was pregnant at just 16 years old, starting a family as a teen, navigating rocky times with her partner Jordan and also being a part of a beautiful blended family.  Chloe's faced some really hard times along the way which were played out on the TV - going through postnatal depression and losing her nan and grandad - but has been so amazing in dealing with it all. Her outlook on life is so impressive - she is just so wise, strong and inspiring. Coming from a beautiful blended family herself, Chloe shares just how families come in so many different shapes and sizes - a message I couldn't agree with more. To become a part of the Blended community follow @Blended on Instagram.

Today on Blended, I’m chatting to the phenomenal Brian Dowling - the Irish TV presenter who rose to fame after winning Big Brother in 2001 and Ultimate Big Brother in 2010. Brian has a beautiful new baby girl Blake with his husband Arthur and their journey to welcoming her to the world is a fascinating one. Brian’s sister Aoife was their surrogate - and Brian talks us through all of the expected, and unexpected highs and lows of surrogacy with your sister. This is such an entertaining but also informative, and emotional episode. Brian is so open about this complicated and beautiful topic and also about the traumatic sudden loss of his mother. This is a story of love, sacrifice and family. Brian says “Who you are is who your family are” - and you can really feel that today. To become a part of the Blended community follow @Blended on Instagram.

Today on Blended, I’m chatting to the Amazing Fearne Cotton. Fearne is a well-known broadcaster, presenter, and host of the wildly popular podcast ‘Happy Place’. Today though, we are talking about Fearne’s role as a Mum. We talk about the huge shift that occurs when you become a parent, step or otherwise and how confidence really does come in waves, especially with being a step-parent. Fearne openly shares her thoughts on imposter syndrome, parenting and mental health and gives some great advice on how to embrace it all - the good bits, the bad bits and the difficult bits. It’s really a touching conversation, I can’t wait for you to hear it! To become a part of the Blended community follow @Blended on Instagram.

Today on Blended we are joined by TV and sports presenter Lynsey Hipgrave. Lynsey’s blended journey began when she met her now husband Dan Hipgrave 16 years ago who already had a daughter from his previous marriage. Together we spoke about what it’s like coming into a blended family, the transition between part-time and full time parenting. We discuss the importance of creating stability and having good communication with both of the parents as well as how to shelter children from tabloid media and press when their parents are in the limelight. Lynsey’s overall message was that really you make your own family life and you do get your own routine and things get easier and better - which I think is such a nice message. To become a part of the Blended community follow @Blended on Instagram.

Today on Blended we have the wonderful Jimmy Akingbola. Jimmy is an actor and producer that currently plays the iconic Geoffery in the new rendition of The Fresh Prince, ‘Bel-Air’. Now living in the bright lights of Los Angeles, Jimmy returns home to the UK to reflect on how his upbringing shaped him in a moving documentary called ‘Handle with Care’. Jimmy takes us on an uplifting journey through his own experience as a child raised by parents of different ethnicities in foster care, how he processed abandonment and beautifully describes his blended upbringing, the difficult times and the better times. Considering the tough circumstances he was brought up in, he has an absolutely amazing outlook on his life, saying he has been blessed with two amazing families. Jimmy is an amazing role model for anyone who is in care or considering bringing a child into care and I’m so excited to share this episode with you all. You can catch Handle With Care on ITV Player, trust me it’s a must watch! To become a part of the Blended community follow @Blended on Instagram.

Today’s guest on Blended is the wonderful Bodé Aboderinor as some people know him, Papa B! Bodé has recently written a book on fatherhood, called Fatherhood, that literally discusses what it means to be a father today. Bodé has a blended family himself but in today’s episode Kate hones in on the big topics, covering everything from Fatherhood and masculinity - and for parents who don't live with their children from a previous relationship, how to blend with new siblings and also how to keep that 1 on 1 connection alive and strong. It’s a calm and open chat that’s full of great, applicable advice that is so helpful to everyone really, no matter what their family set up. To become a part of the Blended community follow @Blended on Instagram.

*Trigger warning: This episode involves stories of domestic violence and physical abuse.* Today on blended we're talking about something that too often gets brushed under the carpet: domestic abuse. Today's guest Phoenix Brown who has been incredibly brave talking about her experience of growing up around emotional and physical abuse. She opens up about the abusive relationship her mom was in when she was young, the effect it had on her and about how great it felt when they got out. It's something that sadly, so many people experience. Phoenix really wants to help others that may be going through similar situations. She has since gone on to work with Women's aid, a lead in charity in this space. To become a part of the Blended community follow @Blended on Instagram.

Today on Blended we are talking to 3 incredible women, Carina White, Natalie Duvall, and Nana-Adwoa Mbeutcha - who, as you’ll hear between them, each have their own different experience of Blended Families. Today’s topic in question is the Black Motherhood experience here in the UK. While this might be a bit different to what you’re used to on Blended, I found this conversation to be really powerful. A lot of us are nervous to have conversations that touch on race (me included!) but it is so important to have open discussions in a supportive environment, particularly where some of our blended experiences introduce us to new cultures. I am so grateful to Carina, Natalie and Nana-Adwoa who provided a safe and supportive conversation full of guidance and encouragement. Host of their own podcast - Black Mums Upfront - Carina, Natalie and Nana-Adwoa talk candidly about their mothering experiences to share, support and empower: challenging stereotypes to make motherhood inclusive and tackle head-on issues of inequality. It’s a chat full of laughs, but also some very informed and serious discussions too. To become a part of the Blended community follow @Blended on Instagram.

Its baby loss awareness week, and as I'm sure most of you know, this is really close to my heart. At the start of this season I had a special sit down with Zoe Clarke Coates, where she opened up about baby loss, miscarriage, and pregnancy after loss. Zoe gave lots of amazing advice and support and today we have some bonus advice that Zoe has kindly shared for us all. Hopefully it will help you and yours to not feel alone, if this week is particularly difficult If you are struggling this week, please check out babyloss-awareness.org and Zoe's charity sayinggoodbye.org which supports anyone who is grieving the fact that they have not been able to have children, for whatever reason that may be. To become a part of the Blended community follow @Blended on Instagram.

Robyn Donaldson is an award-winning interior designer, writer and social media influencer. In today’s episode, Robyn opens up about her experiences with family estrangement - specifically from her mother because of the unhealthy and unhappy relationship they had growing up. In this candid conversation, Robyn shares a very unfiltered picture of her estranged reality, and how she came to cut ties with her mother completely. But she also talks of the love for her grandmother, who took on a maternal figure role in her life and the deeply upsetting impact of her loss when Robyn was in her twenties. Kate and Robyn cover many topics, including loss of loved ones, abuse, and substance abuse to a degree too so if you are sensitive to these topics then please be kind to yourself. To become a part of the Blended community follow @Blended on Instagram.

Today on Blended we have a really special story to share - one of resilience, displacement through war, love and powerful solo parenting. You might know Ellie Prohan as the Queen of all things Hip Hop. She’s a hugely popular club DJ and regular collaborator with both Apple Music and Gay Times. Joining Ellie today is her amazing Mum Sonia - who as you’ll hear - with her girls, had to flee war in the Middle East and seek asylum in England. Ellie and Sonia have supported each other through so much and it’s a powerful message of strength, resilience, love and also acceptance! Blended family, Blended sexuality, Blended cultures! To become a part of the Blended community follow @Blended on Instagram.

On today’s episode of Blended, Kate speaks with best selling author and grief counsellor Zoe Clark-Coates all about how her husband Andy experienced the devastating loss of five babies. A true believer that ‘everything you go through, good or bad, can be used for the positive’ Zoe founded The Mariposa Trust, a charity that helps anyone that is going through baby loss, and wrote the best-selling debut books ‘Saying Goodbye’ The Baby loss Guide’ ‘Beyond Goodbye’ and ‘Pregnancy After Loss’. In June 2021, Zoe was awarded an MBE for services to the baby loss community and improvement of bereavement care, in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, acknowledging the enormous impact she has made and continues to make on behalf of hundreds of thousands of people each year. This is an episode jam packed with great resources and insight for anyone affected by baby loss, and there is some great advice on how to help loved ones affected by it too. TW: Kate and Zoe cover many topics, including loss of loved ones, suicidal thoughts so if you are sensitive to these topics then please be kind to yourself. To become a part of the Blended community follow @Blended on Instagram.

Welcome back to Blended. As you may have seen on my socials, I recently had a miscarriage... and while we have a full new season of Blended coming up for you, I thought it's only right to share just a little bit more around this, about what happened and how I'm feeling, so here I am. This podcast is about being open, about helping others and about sharing - and to me it's just really important to share my struggles and talk to you guys in the hope that it could just help one person.

On today’s episode of Blended, Kate speaks to Krept (best know as one of half Krept & Konan) and Sasha Ellesse (beauty and fashion influencer), who share the uplifting story of their co-parenting relationship today for the first time. As well as being co-parents to their gorgeous 2 year old baby girl Nala - the pair are (this week!) launching Nala's Baby, their new children's skincare brand together. We hear how they Juggle parenthood and running a business together, as well as advice for any parents who are just starting their co-parenting journey. To become a part of the Blended community follow @Blended on Instagram. To get your hands on Nala’s Baby product, visit: https://nalasbaby.com/

Trigger warning: This episode covers loss of pregnancy, struggles with fertility and death of loved ones. Today on Blended, Kate shares the stories of those whose Father’s Day might look a little different. She hears from brave and wonderful contributors who offer their experiences, as well as getting some advice for anyone struggling to navigate the day from experts. This is a helping hand to help you feel less alone when it all feels too hard to cope with and in listening to other stories, Kate hopes that you find some solace in your own. If you are struggling, please seek professional advice and guidance. If you need support or information about fertility treatment, please contact the Fertility Network: www.fertilitynetworkuk.org With thanks to: Professor Lisa Doodson - Happy Steps UK: https://happysteps.co.uk/ Michael & Wes - Founders of Two Dads UK: https://www.twodadsuk.com/ Dad Still Standing' Podcast (a Factory Originals Production) Chris Lawson - IVF Dad Podcast Marvyn Harrison - Dope Black Dad’s podcast Child Bereavement UK for their support in collecting the children’s voicenotes: https://www.childbereavementuk.org/ The New Family Social Network: https://newfamilysocial.org.uk/ And to all the generous contributors, Ciarnan, Rochelle, Alyssa, Mark, Victoria, Jackie and all the children, who lent their voices to today’s episode. To become part of the Blended community follow @Blended on Instagram

Today on Blended, Kate welcomes author, psychologist, mediator, and (step) mother Professor Lisa Doodson. Lisa is the founder of Happy Steps, the UK's only research based stepfamily resource centre, she was also one of the amazing people that helped bring the Ferdinand’s documentary about stepfamilies to life. As part of a stepfamily herself, Lisa's well versed in the often challenging path to happy step parenting, she speaks honestly about how the early experience can often feel like failure or being an imposter in the family, this experience has led her to write two books on the matter, equipping people with the tools and support they need to get there. Kate and Lisa also go through lots of listener questions where Lisa gives some really great direct advice on a range of issues stepparents face. For those struggling in these early days, this one's for you. Lisa’s got so much great advice to help you on your way. Sometimes a sympathetic ear is enough to give you a little bit of hope to know that you will start to feel comfortable in your role and it will all be okay in the end. To become a part of the Blended family follow @Blended on instagram.

On today’s episode of Blended, Kate speaks to Steve Bland, presenter of the BBC Radio 5 Live podcast ‘You, Me & The Big C’. Steve tragically lost his wife Rachael Bland to breast cancer in 2018, leaving him a widow and a single parent to their two-year-old son Freddie. Steve and Kate approached some of the many nuances and challenges from different sides of the same coin: How do you introduce a new parental figure to the children? How do you keep your loved ones' memory alive? And how do you approach trying to integrate into a blended family? As Steve and Rachael knew her diagnosis was terminal, Steve speaks about the confronting conversations required to make the most of the last few months. He also reinforces the importance of remembering that happiness will exist even in the darkest of times. This conversation shows that there aren’t black and white answers to a lot of these questions but Steve’s honesty demonstrates that there can be love, light and family life after death. To become part of the Blended family follow @blended on Instagram.

Today's guest is Marvyn Harrison - father, entrepreneur, and host of the award-winning podcast Dope Black Dads which creates a safe space for fathers who wish to discuss their experiences of parenthood, being black and masculinity in the modern world. What began as a WhatsApp group has blossomed into a space that emboldens dads to lean into their parenting experience and provides a supportive hand in navigating the many complicated areas of raising children, especially the unique ones presented for Black and Black mixed Dads and children. Together Kate and Marvyn explore how our relationships with our own parents shape how we ourselves parent, systemic racism and when to broach these important conversations with children.  To become part of the Blended family, follow @blended on instagram.

You may know the much-loved TV personality Debbie Bright from The Only Way Is Essex, but over 200 children around the UK have known Debbie as their foster carer. Debbie is such a kind and caring soul who has impacted so many young lives and in today’s episode, Debbie talks frankly about the highs, lows, rewarding and challenging moments of fostering. How do you set up to receive a new foster child? How do you ensure that your biological and foster children are happy? How to even start with the goodbyes? Kate has so many questions, and Debbie shares so many answers! Debbie speaks about how privileged she feels to be an integral part of these children's development, the different roles you have to take on as a foster carer and the importance of providing a safe space for children in the care system. We also hear some incredible stories about how Debbie's father's upbringing influenced her instinct to care for others and how rewarding it can be to see a child you've cared for grow up to achieve great things. Debbie's story about spreading kindness is a testament to her character, and her message of love above anything is one to hold onto. To become part of the Blended family, follow @blended on instagram

How do you deal with one of your parents starting a new family? Today's guest is the presenter and businesswoman Rochelle Humes who had to tackle this very question when she discovered later in life that she had siblings through her estranged Dad. Rochelle challenges the ‘half’ labels for her siblings and talks fondly of the roles ‘aunties’ have played both in her family and wider in black communities to prove you can choose who you see as your family. Kate and Rochelle also talk about what they’ve noticed from being part of mixed race blended families exploring questions such as why aren’t we educated on how to cut and nourish black hair? How do we make sure our children can fully explore and understand their cultures in a blended family? How early do you broach the important subject of racism with children? Kate and Rochelle’s conversation takes plenty of interesting detours through motherhood, race and iidentity and the need to challenge the conventions of how a family ‘should’ look. To become part of the Blended family follow @blended on Instagram

Today on Blended we are talking about motherhood in all its beautifully messy glory with the wonderful television personality and former Loose Women panelist Saira Khan. Saira talks about how she came to be in a blended family including the moment she met her little girl who she adopted from Pakistan when she was just four days old. As you’ll hear in today’s episode, the adoption process isn’t simple but Saira's openness, optimism and warmth on the subject show that adoption can be such a joyous albeit complicated tale. Kate and Saira also discuss finding joy amongst the chaos of motherhood and how guilt is always at play in the early stages of becoming a new parent. Saira's resounding message of “focus on the fact that you are going to give this child an amazing future, give them love, family and security” is one that can resonate with any parent, adoptive or otherwise! To become a part of the Blended family, follow @blended on instagram To hear more from Saira follow her on instagram @iamsairakhan check out her website https://www.sairakhan.co.uk For advice on adoption, start by heading to the uk GOV website, or by chatting to a local charity near you: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adoption-statutory-guidance-2013

Stepmothers seem to have an unfairly bad reputation, when the reality is that it takes a really strong person to be a stepparent. You have to be pretty resilient to fit into an already formed family unit! It isn't always easy, but it's often filled with a new love that you just can't explain. Here to share their story on today's episode of Blended are stepmother-daughter-duo Kim and Amelia. Having now been in a blended family for 19 years, Kim and Amelia talk so openly about the realities of becoming a blended family. Amelia opens up about the anger she felt in the earlier days and Kim talks about the struggles with grief on all sides of the family. But despite all of that, there's an overwhelming feeling of such love and trust between the pair of them. It’s a warm, and often funny episode, showing that there is light at the end of the tunnel and love is so powerful. To become part of the Blended family, follow @blended on instagram

Losing a parent as a teenager is unthinkable, let alone when it's followed by the death of a beloved sister just over two years later. This has been the devastating reality for today’s guest: author and entrepreneur Lottie Tomlinson. After her mum and sister passed away, Lottie felt she had to put on a brave face and step up for her younger siblings, but this led to her losing control of her emotions. In today's episode, Lottie tells Kate how therapy has created an outlet for these emotions, and discusses her important work as an ambassador for Sue Ryder which helps people access therapy who may not usually be able to afford it. Lottie also talks about her pregnancy and the excitement the Tomlinson’s are feeling about new life in the family. This conversation is just as much about hope as it is struggle, but we do mention grief and loss of loved ones, so if you are sensitive to these subjects we suggest coming back to this episode when you are ready. To become part of the Blended family, follow @blended on instagram

Joining Kate on Blended this week is Ashley John-Baptiste, who you might recognise from his amazing BBC Three documentary, ‘Split Up in Care: Life Without Siblings’. Ashley is amazing, funny and open and together he speaks candidly with Kate about how he’d already lived with five families by the age of 18. Ashley shares heartbreaking stories of exclusion and the need to put up fronts to reduce the pain of a volatile childhood. Ashley also talks about re-building relationships with his biological family on his own terms and starting a beautiful new family of his own - wrapped up in which is an incredible story of serendipity where he meets his biological brother for the first time. Ashley’s childhood couldn’t have been much tougher but his story is proof that family is never straightforward, never perfect and he highlights the important role that foster care can play in a blended family. To become part of the Blended family, follow @blended on instagram To find out more about foster care, foster initiatives and just fostering in general check please contact your local authority, or get in touch with some charities in the space: https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/ https://www.barnardos.org.uk/ You can watch Ashley’s amazing documentary on BBC.

Finding love and ‘moving on’ when you are in the thick of grief might feel impossible. But, sometimes (and often unexpectedly) you’re able to let new people into your lives and hearts. This was the case for our wonderful guests today - Sky Sports presenter Simon Thomas, along with his wonderful wife Derrina. In this honest and heart warming discussion, Derrina and Simon talk about how they have supported Ethan (Simon’s son and Derrina’s ‘chum’) in navigating their new reality, making space for grief, and how they continue to ensure that Ethan’s mum’s presence and love is still felt in their home. It’s a warm and powerful listen though we do mention grief and loss of loved ones, so if you are sensitive to these subjects we suggest coming back to this episode when you are ready. To become part of the Blended family, follow @blended on instagram

*Trigger warning* This episode covers the loss of loved ones. What is grief? Is there a right or wrong way to grieve? And what are the different approaches to dealing with it? Today’s guest is bestselling psychotherapist, Julia Samuel MBE, who brought such warmth and wisdom to these really tough subjects. Julia believes that every family has a story - so much so that she’s titled her most recent book just that. In this warm and informative episode, Julia and Kate explore some of the common issues that can arise when living in blended families: what we inherit and how we can help support each other. Julia has a talent at simplifying complicated topics and offers such useful advice into how families can face challenges together. Kate and Julia also talked about her twelve touchstones for family wellbeing - from fighting productively to making time for rituals. To become part of the Blended family, follow @blended on instagram To hear more from Julia and to follow her work, head to https://juliasamuel.co.uk/ or follow her on Instagram @juliasamuelmbe

*Trigger warning* This episode covers loss of pregnancy, struggles with fertility and death of loved ones. Mother’s Day is meant to be a beautiful celebration of the women that shaped us. But for so many people out there, it can be a really tough day to navigate. In this moving first episode of Blended, Kate brings together voices of women, children and young adults from around the UK who share their honest experiences of Mother’s Day and how they've courageously dealt with fertility struggles, loss of pregnancy and grief. Kate also speaks with bestselling psychotherapist Julia Samuel who shares some expert advice on how to deal with common triggers on the day. In listening to other stories, Kate hopes that you find some solace in your own. And remember, you are not alone. If you are struggling, please seek professional advice and guidance. To become part of the Blended family, follow @blended on instagram Thank you to Child Bereavement UK for their contribution to this episode.

Hosted by Kate Ferdinand, this podcast is a celebration of blended families - exploring the stories of relationships bound by love, no matter what their circumstances are. Covering subjects such as second marriages, divorce, grief and life after loss, adoption, fostering and (not-so-wicked!) stepmothers, Kate will champion different voices and experiences by speaking with experts, everyday people and celebrities in the public eye.