Kate Ferdinand has announced she is pregnant with husband Rio Ferdinand, after a devastating miscarriage last year.
The 31-year-old announced the joyous news on Instagram yesterday, writing: “We’ve been praying for you.”
It will be Kate’s second child with her Manchester United legend husband Rio – the couple already share two-year-old son Cree Ferdinand.
Kate is also step-mother to Rio’s children Tate, 13, Lorenz, 15, and Tia, 11, whom he shared with his late wife, Rebecca Elison.
Kate and Rio adorably announced the news to their children over the festive season in their Christmas Eve boxes, she said.
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Last July, the former TOWIE star shared the heartbreaking news that she had suffered a miscarriage.
She wrote at the time: “The last time I was in this hospital I was having Cree, but this time it was because our baby had no heartbeat in our 12 week scan and I had to have surgery.
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Kate and Rio Ferdinand. Credit: Instagram, @xkateferdinand
“We were so excited & planning a space for our new baby in our family, we just couldn’t wait to share our news with you all, but unfortunately sometimes life just doesn’t go as we plan.
“So much to say, but somehow I can’t find the words. Absolutely devastated & heartbroken …but couldn’t be more grateful for the hugs I got from my big(er) babies coming through the door when we arrived home.”
Kate has given a more in-depth update about her pregnancy in a mini podcast episode, in which she spoke candidly about the anxiety and worry she has felt following last year’s tragic baby loss.
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She said: “It’s a bit of a worry after what happened last summer with the miscarriage…
Kate also said: “In my last pregnancy when I had a miscarriage, I moaned constantly. I had a bad back, I had all these things going wrong.
“And then when obviously the miscarriage happened, I felt terrible for moaning, and thinking ‘Oh I now feel really ungrateful that I moaned the whole time’.”
She said that her main symptom so far is hunger and said she ‘could not stop eating’ in her first trimester.
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After last year’s heartbreak, the announcement that she and Rio are now pregnant with their second baby has been met with joy by their fellow celebrities and Kate’s 1.4m Instagram followers.
Thousands of comments have flooded her post, which is a black-and-white video of her holding a growing baby bump.
Holly Willoughby posted: “Aww congratulations to you both… that’s lovely news.”
Former Love Island star Montana Brown commented: “Stop this is amazing! Congratulations.”
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Michelle Keegan wrote: “Congratulations darling.”
Kate later posted a further update, writing: “Good morning, Bump pictures incoming. Thank you so much for all of your lovely messages, we are all just so excited!
“So happy we’ve shared this with you, I’ve found it hard keeping this one quiet. So much to talk to you all about so I’ve recorded a short life update for you … the link is in my bio & insta stories.”
Featured image: Instagram, @xkateferdinand
TV & Showbiz
Benson Boone has announced a headline gig in Manchester – and it’s a big one
Danny Jones
American pop sensation and unrivalled king of unnecessary front flips, Benson Boone, has just announced his first-ever headline Manchester arena gig as part of a new arena tour.
The solo artist and acrobatic chart-topper has seen a meteoric rise in the US and, as is usually the case across the Atlantic, he’s become increasingly popular over here too.
Benson may have performed here in Manchester before as part of the 2024 MTV EMAs and for a small show at The Deaf Institute, but now big fans have the added Boone of getting to watch a standalone show at one of Europe’s leading indoor entertainment venues.
Announced on Friday, 30 May, the 22-year-old will be making his way across the pond from Washington for a limited run of UK concerts, with a date at Co-op Live arena being one of just five dates.
Extending his ‘American Heart Tour’ ahead of the release of his eponymous sophomore record, with this autumn leg, Co-op Live will mark his individual visit to 0161.
The Grammy-nominated artist has earned several nods of recognition already for his first album, Fireworks & Rollerblades, which was released just last spring.
He has been described as among the current trend of male singers who fit into the American Idol and ‘Voice audition pop’ genre (a term recently coined online), along with the likes of Teddy Swims, Shawn Mendes, Alex Warren and others.
Regardless of the slightly tongue-in-cheek term, he’s become a huge hit around the world and landing him is still a big coup for the venue that has already welcomed similarly massive pop contemporaries like Swims, Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo and more.
In case you’re wondering just how big a deal he is over in the States, even this early in his career, his domestic headline dates sold out in seconds, quite literally…
The last time he visited Co-op Live was to perform at the most recent MTV EMAs
Benson Boone is coming to Manchester on Monday, 27 October and will be playing just two other British venues: The O2 in London (two nights) and the Utilita Arena in Birmingham.
Safe to say you don’t want to miss this one if you like soaring vocals and lots of flipping.
General admission tickets go live at 10am on Thursday, 5 June, but Co-op Members can gain access via the arena’s official pre-sale window from the same time on Tuesday (3 Jun).
More adult virgins needed for next series of Channel 4’s hit reality show Virgin Island
Emily Sergeant
Channel 4 is back looking for more adult virgins to take part in the potential next series of its hit reality show Virgin Island.
You may remember that early last year, we brought you the breaking highly-important news that Channel 4 was currently in the process of producing a new reality TV series that, at the time, had the working title of ‘The Intimacy Retreat’ and was looking for a group of adult virgins to apply to take part, if they were brave enough.
But now, well over a year on, we all know that show turned out to be the hit show Virgin Island – which has just finished airing its first series this week.
Channel 4 needs more adult virgins for the potential next series of its hit reality TV show Virgin Island / Credit: Channel 4
If you’re unfamiliar with Virgin Island, it’s unlike anything ever seen on TV before, as it follows the journey of a group of adult virgins who are whisked off to a Mediterranean island retreat to learn life-changing skills in the art of intimacy.
Working with leading international therapists, the aim is to help the young people overcome their fears and insecurities when it comes to intimacy and sex.
Channel 4 said it chose to commission the show after a recent study into intimacy found out that one in eight British 26-year-olds is, apparently, still a virgin.
Virgin Island aims to help young people overcome their insecurities around intimacy and sex / Credit: Channel 4
A casting call for the new series on the Channel 4 website reads: “Are you a virgin and do you need help and guidance with your fears and insecurities around intimacy and sex? Double Act Productions is casting adults for a potential second series of Virgin Island.”
You just need to be over 21 years of age to take part in the show.
Fancy it then? Or know someone who may be up for the ride? Applications for the potential next series of Virgin Island are now open, and there’s still plenty of time left to put your name down.
Daisy Jackson -
30th January 2023 
