This week on Blended, Kate Ferdinand is joined by co host Cilla Kessie and husband Rio Ferdinand, fresh back from The World Cup. Rio shares what the experience was like, before the trio reflect on the incredible response to Tate’s recent appearance. 

The panel then tackle two listener dilemmas. The first comes from a dad with two children from a previous relationship whose wife desperately wants a baby of her own. He’s finally through the sleepless nights and nappies and doesn’t want to start again, but she feels she’s sacrificed so much as a full time stepmum and longs to experience motherhood herself. The panel discuss whether it’s selfish to say no, whether having a baby for your partner could lead to resentment, and whether becoming a stepmum is ever the same as becoming a mum.

The second dilemma is from a full time stepmum who feels completely overwhelmed. She works full time, raises her partner’s children alongside their baby and carries the day to day responsibility for the whole family. While she sees everything she does as an act of love, her partner tells her she doesn’t show him enough affection. On top of that, he still enjoys nights out and time with his friends, leaving her feeling unsupported and increasingly resentful.

The conversation explores the invisible mental load of parenting, why stepparents often feel unseen, and the importance of appreciation, communication and sharing the responsibility at home. Kate and Cilla discuss whether the balance in this relationship is fair, while Rio offers his perspective on how men and women often communicate differently and why sometimes the message needs to be simpler and more direct for your partner to truly hear what you’re saying.

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This week on Blended, Kate Ferdinand is joined by co-host Nathalie and her husband, Sayce Holmes-Lewis, Founder and CEO of Mentivity. 

The panel tackle two dilemmas that many blended families will relate to. First, a father is struggling after his son moved back home following university. While he wants to support him, his wife feels it’s time for him to leave. The extra financial pressure and the impact on their relationship have created growing tension. The panel discuss how long adult children should stay at home, balancing loyalty to your child with your partner’s needs, and what happens when those priorities clash. 

They also answer a dilemma from a mum who believes her teenage son is negatively influencing his younger stepbrother. As the boys grow closer, the younger child is staying out later, pushing boundaries and changing his behaviour, leaving the parents divided over how to handle it. 

Drawing on years of experience working with young people, Sayce shares why teenagers need guidance, structure and patience as they learn to become adults. The conversation explores the lasting impact of the pandemic on this generation, why influence is inevitable, and how parents can set healthy boundaries without pushing teenagers away.

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This week on Blended, Kate Ferdinand is joined by co-hosts Nathalie Holmes Lewis and Cilla Kessie for a much needed catch up.

Cilla is back and shares what she's been up to, how life has been treating her recently, and the realities of juggling studying, motherhood and co-parenting.

They then tackle a dilemma from a mum who is struggling with her ex's latest relationship. Just months after their separation, he's moving in with the woman he had an affair with while she was pregnant. After years of an on-off relationship, she worries he's making another impulsive decision . Her biggest concern is that in less than a year, he's moved house several times and she also wants to meet his new partner before the children stay there, but he's refused.

The panel discuss whether parents have a right to meet a new partner, how much say they should have over where their children stay and whether inconsistency should influence co parenting decisions. Kate shares why she'd always want to know the person caring for her children, while the ladies explore the importance of stability, trust and putting children first after a separation.

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This week on Blended, Kate Ferdinand is joined by co-host Nathalie Holmes-Lewis and Parenting Consultant and Child Behaviour Specialist, San Kaur Mehra.

Together, they dive into one of the biggest challenges parents face, understanding children's behaviour. From tantrums and screen time to discipline, boundaries and emotional regulation, San shares practical advice to help parents navigate those everyday moments that can feel overwhelming.

Kate opens up about some of the situations she's experienced with her own children, while Nathalie reflects on how parenting styles have changed over the years. The conversation explores whether gentle parenting works for every child, how many of us are trying to parent differently from the way we were raised and why there's no one size fits all approach.

The panel also tackle a dilemma from a mum whose six year old has daily meltdowns whenever screen time comes to an end. Despite limiting her daughter's time on the iPad and trying to stay calm, she's worried she's doing something wrong. San explains why these big reactions happen, shares practical techniques to help children transition away from screens and offers advice on building healthy boundaries that actually work.

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This week on Blended, Kate Ferdinand is joined by co-host Nathalie Holmes-Lewis and TV and radio presenter, and founder of Clean Curls, Sarah-Jane Crawford.

Sarah-Jane shares her personal story of growing up adopted, the close relationship she had with her dad and the impact losing him at a young age had on her life. She also opens up about becoming part of a blended family herself.

The panel then discusses a dilemma from a mum who adopted her daughter with her husband. Years later, after welcoming a biological baby together, she feels something has changed. While everyone acknowledges that life naturally shifts when a new born arrives, the mum can't shake the feeling that her husband is different with their adopted daughter.

The conversation explores whether those changes are simply part of adjusting to life with a baby, or whether a mother's intuition is sometimes telling us something important. Sarah-Jane shares why she believes it's important to trust those instincts, while Kate and Nathalie discuss how families can make sure every child continues to feel equally loved, secure and seen.

It's an honest conversation about adoption, identity, intuition and what it really means to be family.

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This week on Blended, Kate Ferdinand is joined by co host Nathalie Holmes-Lewis and her stepson Tate Ferdinand, who is back by popular demand after listeners loved hearing his perspective on blended family life.

Tate joins the panel to help answer two dilemmas, the first dilemma comes from a teenager whose dad and stepmum have recently split up. Her stepmum has been in her life for years and she feels like she's lost a parent, but everyone seems focused on how the adults are coping. The panel discuss whether it's normal to grieve a stepparent after a breakup and whether relationships between stepparents and stepchildren should continue, even when the adults' relationship ends. Kate shares her own feelings on what would happen if her relationship with Rio ever changed and why she believes those bonds don't simply disappear.

The second dilemma comes from a teenager who feels torn between his biological dad and his stepdad. On Father's Day, birthdays and special occasions, he never knows who to celebrate without upsetting someone. The conversation opens up into the reality of loyalty, guilt and navigating relationships in blended families, as well as the pressure children can feel to keep everyone happy.

Tate also reflects on his own blended family journey, sharing honest insights into his relationship with Kate, the challenges they faced in the early years and how their family has grown into the close unit they are today.

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This week on Blended, Kate Ferdinand is joined by co-host Nathalie Holmes-Lewis and special guest co-host singer, songwriter Terri Walker.

Terri opens up about growing up in Germany with her mum and stepdad, the close bond they built and the huge role he played in shaping her life.

The first dilemma comes from a heartbroken mum whose 14 year old daughter wants to stay living with her stepdad after the adults have separated. While she never imagined being apart from her daughter, she also knows her daughter sees her stepdad as a father figure and has built her life around him, her school, her friends and the home they've shared for years. Kate. The panel discuss whether teenagers should have more say in where they live and whether sometimes doing what's best for your child can be incredibly painful as a parent.

The second dilemma leaves the whole panel shocked. A mum writes in after her husband, who has helped raise her daughter since she was six years old, suddenly changes his mind about adopting her. After years of treating her like his own, he admits he loves her but not in the same way he loves his biological children. The panel tries to understand what could be behind his decision. Is it about inheritance or legal obligations? Or is it something much deeper? Most importantly, they discuss how a mother explains that rejection to a daughter who already sees him as her dad.

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This week on Blended, Kate is joined by Nathalie and special guest co host Natalie Lue, author of The Joy of Saying No and host of The Baggage Reclaim Sessions.

Today’s dilemma comes from a stepmum who had a moment that shook her. During a situation where her stepdaughter was being praised, she corrected something small and immediately felt like she had taken the shine off her. It triggered a deeper fear that she might be repeating the same subtle patterns she experienced growing up.

They discuss how old wounds can quietly show up in parenting, especially in blended families where emotions can already feel heightened. Nathalie talks about how simply acknowledging the pattern is something previous generations often never did.

Kate opens up about how she sometimes swings between overreacting and then overcompensating. She shares how easy it is to correct too quickly, then feel guilty and flip into people pleasing mode to balance it out.

Natalie Lue breaks down the “mother load” and how much emotional responsibility women carry without even realising it. She challenges the idea that every moment needs to be handled perfectly and asks what would actually happen if we didn’t overmanage everything.

It’s an honest conversation about insecurity, boundaries and the fear of passing down patterns you worked so hard to escape.

Don’t forget to rate and review, also we love hearing from you so follow @blended on Instagram to share your story.

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Kate is joined by Rio & Tate Ferdinand to discuss a few dilemmas and family whilst on holiday in Portugal

In the first, a 16 year old boy is struggling with his stepmum moving in and trying to set boundaries. Tate speaks candidly about how he felt when Kate first became part of his daily life and what teenagers really need when a new adult enters their space.

In the second dilemma, a stepmum shares that telling her stepchildren about a new baby didn’t go well at all. Tears, anger and even one child saying they wished the baby would “disappear.” Tate opens up about how he truly felt when Kate and Rio told him they were expecting Cree, and Kate asks Rio how he would have handled it if the children had reacted that way.

Plus, Tate does quick fire quiz revealing who’s the strictest parent, who’s the better cook and who’s secretly the boss of the house.

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In this week’s episode, Kate Ferdinand is joined by Nathalie Holmes-Lewis and Cilla Kessie to discuss a topic that feels uniquely blended.

The first dilemma comes from a mum whose 11 year old daughter becomes giddy and excited when her partner’s teenage son comes around. They have only met a handful of times but it has made her think about the future and dynamics she had never really considered before.

The second dilemma is from a mum with a 15 year old daughter who is thinking about moving in with her partner full time. He has two teenage sons. She has noticed how they talk about girls and about women and it has made her pause. Her daughter’s dad has also raised concerns. Is she overthinking normal teenage behaviour or should boundaries be set before blending fully?

The panel have a strong and honest debate. Kate feels that not every interaction needs to be treated as a warning sign and that excitement can simply be part of growing up. Nathalie feels more firmly that teenage attraction and energy should never be ignored and that boundaries need to be clear from the start. They explore whether parents can sometimes be naive when they are focused on love and blending.

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