This week on Blended, Kate Ferdinand is joined by co-host Nathalie and special guest co-host Ashley John-Baptiste — , journalist, documentary-maker and now author of Looked After, his powerful memoir.

Ashley’s no stranger to the podcast and he’s back to talk about his own story growing up in the UK care system, living with five different families, and never quite feeling like he belonged. In this emotional and honest conversation, he shares how that shaped his sense of identity, his education, his relationships, and the kind of father he is today.

The trio also tackle a heartfelt dilemma from a listener who's trying to help her foster son feel welcomed into their family especially by her partner, who’s parenting for the first time. Ashley shares real insight into what children in care may be feeling in moments like this, while Nathalie opens up about her own past and how childhood trauma can lead to emotional walls and coping mechanisms.

This is a moving episode about identity, resilience, and the healing power of love and a reminder that family isn’t always where you start, but what you grow.

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This week on Blended, it’s the Father’s Day special and Kate’s handed over the mic. Rio Ferdinand takes on hosting duties, joined by Cilla’s husband Philo Appeaning and Nathalie’s husband Sayce Holmes-Lewis for a rare and honest conversation from the men’s side of the blended family dynamic.

The trio tackle a dilemma sent in by a man who didn’t tell his partner that his ex would be at a party he was taking his daughter to. When she found out, it caused serious drama but now he’s asking: should you always tell your partner the truth, even if you know it’ll cause problems?

That sparks a deeper chat about communication in relationships, how the men have evolved emotionally since their younger years, and the impact their wives have had on the way they express themselves now.

They reflect on how easy it is to slip back into old patterns, and why working on emotional growth in your home is worth the effort especially when you’re trying to break cycles.

They also open up about boundaries with exes and extended family, and share how those lines have had to shift over time to protect their wives and their peace.

Then comes the surprise: Kate hits them with some loaded questions submitted by their wives and they have to answer on the spot. Plus, they have a proud moment as they hear unexpected Father’s Day messages from their children.

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This week on Blended, Kate Ferdinand is joined by co-hosts Cilla and Nathalie for a powerful and deeply personal episode. For the first time, the ladies speak not from the perspective of parents but as the children of single-parent homes.

They open up about how growing up without a father in the house shaped their understanding of love, trust, and family. From not knowing how to have a platonic relationship with a man to struggling to understand how your husband can love you without conditions they open up about the emotional impact of growing up in homes where love looked different.

Cilla gets emotional as she reflects on how certain moments from her past still leave her feeling disappointed and hurt and how that has shown up in her adult life and relationships.

The trio also discuss how they’re doing the work to break generational cycles, raising their own children differently, and learning that healing can happen at the same time as parenting.

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This week on Blended, Kate Ferdinand is joined by Cilla and Nathalie to unpack a dilemma that hits deep for many stepparents — feeling left out, even when you’ve been fully present. A listener shares that she wasn’t invited to her stepdaughter’s birthday party, which is being held at the mum’s house, and it's left her feeling sidelined. She’s been a part of her partner’s daughter’s life for 3 years and thought their bond meant more but now she’s questioning her place in the bigger moments.

The trio reflect on the unspoken boundaries of blended family life. Should you expect to be welcomed into someone else’s safe space, like their home? Or is it fair to suggest neutral locations or even host your own celebration?

The ladies explore whether we expect too much too soon as stepparents, or whether exclusion from big milestones like birthdays and school events says more about unresolved tensions between adults. They also dig into how confrontation gets a bad wrap especially for women and why speaking up isn’t about ego, but about protecting your peace.

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This week on Blended, Kate Ferdinand is joined by co-hosts Cilla and Nathalie to talk about one of the most emotional and overlooked issues in blended families — money.

The conversation is sparked by a dilemma from a stepmum who financially supports her partner’s children but feels completely shut out of the decision-making. With talk of private school on the table and no voice in the conversation, she’s left wondering: am I being manipulated, or is this just part of being in a blended family?

They dive into the uncomfortable but necessary questions: Should financial contribution equal a say in parenting decisions? and Where’s the line between support and exploitation?

The trio reflect on the emotional costs that go beyond finances especially when step-parents raise children they have no legal rights to. From wills and inheritance to guardianship and long-term planning, they unpack why these conversations matter so much more in blended families.

One big question the group debates: Should parents leave different amounts to different children, based on what they’re already receiving from their other biological parent? Is fairness always equal or does it depend on circumstance?

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On this episode of Blended, Kate Ferdinand is joined by co-hosts Cilla and Nathalie for a tough but necessary conversation about something many families silently struggle with the different ways love can show up for biological and stepchildren.

This honest discussion is sparked after Kate asks her stepdaughter Tia to send a voice note sharing how she feels compared to her younger siblings and opens the door to one of the biggest debates yet.

They explore a powerful question: What is love? Is it a feeling, an action or both? And if you don’t feel the same for all your children, what can you do to make sure none of them feel left out?

They discuss how factors like living arrangements, age, time, and even permission to parent can all affect how love is shown and felt. When 1 in 3 families in the UK are blended, this is not a niche issue it’s a growing reality for so many.

The trio explore what happens when you don’t feel the same bond with your stepchildren and how you can still show up for them with care and consistency. They unpack the pressure stepmums often face to “love like a mum,” while also being told not to overstep.

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In this week’s episode of Blended, Kate Ferdinand is joined by Cilla and Nathalie for one of the trickiest dilemmas they’ve tackled yet. A listener shares her story of planning to separate from her husband after years of being together but they’ve decided to carry on living under the same roof until their children turn 18.

Why? Because she’s terrified her son might choose to stay with his stepdad instead of her. It’s a heartbreaking situation that raises a huge question: can you separate without shattering your family?

The ladies explore the emotional weight of “staying for the kids,” and debate whether that decision protects children or simply delays the damage.

They reflect on research that shows children thrive in two-parent households and dig into how breakups affect kids no matter which parent leaves, highlighting that mothers can also be the ones who disrupt the home, not just the dads.

The trio share how they’d feel about having a stepparent now, as grown women, and the impact childhood trauma can have on how we move through relationships as adults and reflect on how their own upbringings in single-parent homes shaped their views.

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In this episode of Blended, Kate Ferdinand is joined by co-hosts Cilla and Nathalie to dive deep into what really happens when kids are raised across two homes with different sets of rules.

Cilla explains the real difference between co-parenting and parallel parenting, and why understanding the difference can save families a lot of conflict.

Kate, Cilla, and Nathalie each open up about their own parenting styles, how they set rules, maintain structure, and handle boundaries in their homes.

The trio also explore whether softer or stricter parenting styles actually get better reactions, and whether having different rules really confuses children long-term or if kids are more adaptable than we give them credit for. They also reflects on how children sometimes adapt their behaviour depending on which parent they're talking to and how kids can even learn to play parents off against each other when the rules aren't aligned .

If you’ve ever struggled with mixed messages, different expectations, or feeling like you're parenting in two completely different worlds, this episode is a must-listen.

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