Former Man United defender Rio Ferdinand has opened up about being a single parent after losing his wife Rebecca in 2015 to breast cancer.

Rio opened up about her death on his BBC documentary, ‘Rio and Kate: Becoming a Stepfamily,’ alongside his new wife, 28-year-old Kate Wright.

He said: “I thought I’m never going to be happy again.

“I’ll never meet anyone, I was just really content with just being me and the kids and that’s all I thought it was going to be. And then something just happened.

“When you speak to the kids and the response is much more fun in the house, like – what dad couldn’t want that? She’s uplifting, she’s added value to this house given where it was. It was at a low ebb.”

Former Towie star Kate admitted she also found it difficult after becoming a step-mum to Rio’s children Lorenz, 13, Tate, 11 and eight-year-old Tia.

She explained: “I do feel like I am winging it. I can’t ring my mate and say, ‘what do I do?’ No one’s with someone and their partner’s passed away and their kids haven’t got a mum.”

Kate added: “No one really knows what to say. I know I’m caring and I just go with that and hope it’s right…”

The emotional documentary also sees Kate break down in tears as she discusses the children’s happiness.

Through her tears, she says: “I just want the children to be happy. It’s hard for us so I can’t imagine how hard it is for the kids.”