CELEBRITY WELLBEING People had this image of me as a stupid Towie girl after Rio’s money
Fort, died suddenly too, shortly after he met Kate). They talk about their mother all the time and she encourages them to keep the memories alive.
Today, Kate devotes her life to her family, does the school runs and shares the cooking (she says she couldn’t cook before she met Rio and admits she put on weight initially, often eating the kids’ leftovers).
“I was scooping mash out of the bottom of the pan and eating it. I was so focused on being a stepmum and getting that right, that I lost track of myself for a little while and what I need to do to keep myself on track and happy.”
She says exercise and keeping fit has been a huge factor in her physical and mental wellbeing.
“Exercise is something that’s helped me with anxiety and taken my mind away from things.”
An only child brought up by her mum after her parents split up when she was three, Kate has suffered from anxiety from a young age, which escalated into body dysmorphia as a teenager.
“I’ve had therapy but I think I just put a lot of pressure on myself. It might not be big things, it might be small things.”
Surely, going into a show where viewers scrutinise your looks, figure and behaviour, didn’t help?
“I had anxiety before Towie and I think a lot of my friends and family were shocked thought that I dealt with Towie quite well, but it brought on other pressures, like body image. You are out there raw, for everyone to see, and I had a lot of body issues. I’m not too keen on my legs and I had to learn to love myself again after Towie.”
Therapy has been a massive help, she says. “It makes you feel lighter and understand why you are feeling the way you are – and I would highly recommend it. Sharing a problem with someone who isn’t going to judge you, feels better.” And she may return to it if she feels the need.
“I’m not having it at the moment but I’m always open to it. As and when I need it.”
She’s encountered social media trolls too, and admits it was hard.
“I used to read it all and it would really get to me. It has been a big process trying to not open articles.
“I still look at the comments on Instagram but trying to not let them bother me,” she continues. “Rio says, ‘Just ignore them’, but it’s hard.
“What I’m going through is just trying to be confident in myself, so that what I read doesn’t affect me, because I know who I am.”
Exercise has helped to clear her thoughts, and now she says she feels happy about her body.
Fitter Happier Healthier: The Ultimate Body Plan by Kate Ferdinand is published by Michael Joseph, priced £16.99.
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