‘Our strong little girl’: Kate Ferdinand gives birth to second child with husband Rio Ferdinand and reveals sweet name

The former England footballer and ‘The Only Way is Essex’ star welcomed their first child together in 2020

Kate and Rio Ferdinand have welcomed their second child, a baby girl.

The couple celebrated their daughter’s arrival on social media, writing on Instagram: “Shae Ferdinand. 10.7.23 Our strong little girl,” with a white heart emoji.

They also shared a photo of the baby’s hands, with the hands of Shae’s siblings resting on top.

The former England football player, 44 and The Only Way is Essex star, 32, have been married since 2019. They already share a two-year-old named Cree, born December 2020, and Kate is stepmother to three children from Rio’s last marriage.

Rio is father to Lorenz, 16, Tate, 14, and Tia, 11, through his marriage to his late wife Rebecca Ellison, who died in 2015 after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

Announcing Kate’s pregnancy back in January, the pair shared a video on Instagram, in which Kate unbuttons her coat to reveal her baby bump underneath her dress.

​​A smiling Kate cradles her hand over her belly, with Minnie Riperton’s “Lovin’ You” playing in the background of the clip.

“We’ve been praying for you,” she captioned the post.

Friends of the couple have been sharing their best wishes for the new arrival to the family and complimented the choice of Shae’s name.

The Only Way Is Essex star Fearne McCcan, who recently welcomed a newborn daughter named Finty, wrote: “Congratulations, I love her name.”

Another TOWIE star Billie Shepherd wrote: “Congratulations to you all.”

The official Manchester United Instagram account wrote “Congratulations” and posted a red heart emoji.

The couple previously lost a baby last year.

In July 2022, Kate revealed that she had suffered a miscarriage, after finding out the baby “had no heartbeat” at her 12-week scan.

“So much to say, but somehow I can’t find the words. Absolutely devastated & heartbroken,” Kate said at the time. “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 been vocal about being a mother to stepchildren, and her journey in parenting in a “fully blended family”.

In January, Kate launched her modern parenting handbook How To Build A Family. On Instagram, the author wrote that she wished she had been given a handbook when she became a stepmother.