Rio Ferdinand: 'I still haven't grieved properly over my wife's death'

Loss: Rio Ferdinand with wife Rebecca
PA
Mark Chandler7 February 2017

Former England captain Rio Ferdinand says he still hasn’t grieved properly following the death of his wife from breast cancer in 2015.

The father-of-three opened up about the loss of Rebecca as part of a new documentary exploring the impact on parents who lose their partners.

He will front the 60-minute BBC documentary, called Rio Ferdinand: Being Mum and Dad, as he tries to understand how widowed parents manage grief and support their children.

During the programme, the TV pundit opens up about his loss, saying: "I don't think I've grieved properly."

He adds: "I've not given myself that time to sit down and really flush everything out and go through it."

The ex-Manchester United defender, who married Rebecca Ellison in 2009, will discover the only way parents can help their children move on is by rebuilding their own lives first.

The film also offers a broader insight into how young husbands and fathers cope with grief and finds around 75 men under 50 become widowers every day in the UK.

Alison Kirkham, controller of factual commissioning and events, said: "Rio Ferdinand has courageously allowed the cameras to follow him in this revealing and immensely personal documentary exploring the complexities of grief.

"This candid film will offer BBC One audiences an intimate exploration of the ways in which men similarly bereaved cope with their loss."

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