The former TOWIE star has opened up about the struggles she faced at the start of her relationship.

Kate Ferdinand has opened up about not feeling accepted by her husband Rio's family when they first got together, revealing that she felt 'judged' and struggled to live up to the memory of his late wife Rebecca Ellison.

Read more: Rio Ferdinand feared he'd 'never be happy again' following tragic death of wife Rebecca Ellison

Rebecca tragically passed away of breast cancer in 2015, and Kate - who married Rio last year - is now stepmum to her kids Lorenz, 13, and Tate, 11, and eight-year-old daughter, Tia.

Rebecca tragically died of breast cancer in 2015. Picture: PA

Speaking ahead of the release of Rio and Kate: Becoming a Stepfamily, Kate opened up about the challenges she faced at the start of the relationship.

Read more: Kate Ferdinand admits she 'cried every day for a year’ after moving in with husband Rio

She said: “I just felt like I wasn’t accepted. I felt judged and like I couldn’t live up to the memory of Rebecca. I was constantly compared. I wanted to be me," she said. "I made a lot of mistakes at the beginning because I wasn’t a mum and I felt like every mistake that I was making was being judged, and I found that really difficult."

Rio and Kate: Becoming A Stepfamily airs tonight on BBC One. Picture: BBC

Kate, 28, also opened up about her new role as stepmum to the kids, saying: “I always felt like a mum but I was embarrassed to say it in front of certain people. I’d say, ‘Oh, I’m their step mum.’ But now I feel like a mum. I think it’s about love and care, and being there for the children every day, which I am. And I’m confident in my role.

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"The boys call me Kate and say I’m their step mum. Tia goes through stages, sometimes she calls me Mummy, sometimes she calls me Kate. She can call me anything – it’s about them being happy and comfortable."

Rio and Kate: Becoming a Stepfamily airs tonight at 9pm on BBC One

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