TW: This episode covers matters related to drug abuse and eating conditions. So please be kind to yourself if that feels too close to home. Today’s episode is for anyone who may be considering the option of fostering, has already taken the leap and needs some advice or simply wants to learn more about the processes and experiences of fostering a child. Our guests are mother and step-daughter duo Caroline ‘Caz’ Bullivant & Britney Coole. Caz welcomed Britney into her home when she was...

Trigger Warning: Themes of addiction are discussed in this episode. Today on Blended we have the brilliant author, self development coach and queen of manifestation, Roxie Nafousi and today's episode is all about building positive co-parenting relationships. Roxie and Wade are no longer together, but are passionately committed to staying great friends and being the best co-parents they possibly can be. They’ve gone against the status-quo and written their own rules on how to co-parent which...

Writer and Broadcaster Emily Dean is the author of the hit book ‘Everybody Died, So I Got a Dog’ and subsequently the hugely successful Times podcast ‘Walking the Dog’. Emily’s life turned completely on its head when she lost all of her close family in a 3 year period. First her older sister Rachael to cancer, closely followed by both her parents, leaving her as the key female figure to Rachael’s children and an orphan at age 45. This sudden change left Emily no choice but to clobber...

Hey everyone! I know I’ve been a bit quiet on social media lately, but I’ve received so many messages asking for an update on what’s been going on. Well… I have some big news to share with you all - I’m expecting another baby! I couldn’t be more excited, and I’m so glad I get to talk about this journey with all of you on these mini-episodes of the podcast. Sometimes when you share big news on social media, it doesn’t quite have the same impact as talking about it in person. That’s why I...

Welcome to a brand new season of Blended! In this episode, Kate speaks with Dr Martha Deiros Collado - a clinical psychologist specialising in science of childhood. Her mission is to make the science of psychology accessible to everyone which she does this so well on her Instagram and podcast Talking Sense. Dr Martha has such a refreshing, calm, and empathetic way of tackling big subjects - from how to manage anxiety to navigating tricky co parenting situations, as well how we as step...

Wow there are just 4 sleeps until Christmas! To wrap up our mini-episodes I wanted to come on by myself to share with you all what my first Christmas was like coming into a Blended family and how our family has developed since. I share some of the new traditions we have created together and I’ve also got some quick practical tips which I found have helped me at times where things have got a little stressful, to help me enjoy the moment. This is a short and sweet episode which I hope leaves...

In the last of our Christmas minisodes, I sit down with a wonderful Emily Samuel, she's a child psychotherapist as she answers some of the questions you sent in that relate to your children's experiences of Christmas. We cover expectations of Christmas, managing children's behaviour, presents, and mental health around the Christmas period. These episodes are really short and sweet, but they're packed full of advice. Emily co-hosts the wonderful Therapy Works podcast with her...

On Blended today we have a very special guest, Alex Willumsen who’s story is one that so many people have been in touch about, and that’s being a childless stepmum.Alex Willumsen is a parent/step-parent of 11 years to two boys down in Brighton. We hear all about Alex's step parenting journey but also about her and her husband’s attempts to grow their family themselves. Alex is an amazing women and she feels that being a childless step mum is a unique and often overlooked experience and...

It’s nearly Christmas, a time filled with joy and excitement, but also a time that can be difficult for anyone dealing with the absence of a loved one. A few weeks ago, I reached out to you on the Blended socials and asked if you had any questions around Christmas. We were inundated with your questions, so I decided to host a short series of minisodes to offer advice to anyone struggling at this time of year. Ann has worked in bereavement for over 30 years and is the CEO of Child...

Today’s guest on Blended is comedian, actor, writer and I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! star, Babatunde Aléshé. Baba joins me to talk about life growing up in a single parent home, and how his childhood was one of his biggest drivers in shaping his own parenting style. Baba’s Nigerian heritage and religion comes up too as it was a big pillar in his life overall which prompts a conversation about how to blend cultures in the family home. We also talk about strictness in the home which...

It’s nearly Christmas, a time which can bring so much excitement but also so much stress, especially if you’re part of a blended family. I reached out to you on the Blended socials and asked if you had any questions around Christmas: Be that grief, how to share the kids or anything else that’s causing you stress, and we were inundated with your questions. Today we welcome Professor Lisa Doodson back to Blended. She's an author and psychologist specialising in step-family dynamics. Today she...

Today on Blended I’m joined by star of Teen Mom UK, Chloe Patton. We had such a lovely chat about Chloe finding out she was pregnant at just 16 years old, starting a family as a teen, navigating rocky times with her partner Jordan and also being a part of a beautiful blended family.  Chloe's faced some really hard times along the way which were played out on the TV - going through postnatal depression and losing her nan and grandad - but has been so amazing in dealing with it all. Her...

Today on Blended, I’m chatting to the phenomenal Brian Dowling - the Irish TV presenter who rose to fame after winning Big Brother in 2001 and Ultimate Big Brother in 2010. Brian has a beautiful new baby girl Blake with his husband Arthur and their journey to welcoming her to the world is a fascinating one. Brian’s sister Aoife was their surrogate - and Brian talks us through all of the expected, and unexpected highs and lows of surrogacy with your sister. This is such an entertaining but...

Today on Blended, I’m chatting to the Amazing Fearne Cotton. Fearne is a well-known broadcaster, presenter, and host of the wildly popular podcast ‘Happy Place’. Today though, we are talking about Fearne’s role as a Mum. We talk about the huge shift that occurs when you become a parent, step or otherwise and how confidence really does come in waves, especially with being a step-parent. Fearne openly shares her thoughts on imposter syndrome, parenting and mental health and gives some great...

Today on Blended we are joined by TV and sports presenter Lynsey Hipgrave. Lynsey’s blended journey began when she met her now husband Dan Hipgrave 16 years ago who already had a daughter from his previous marriage. Together we spoke about what it’s like coming into a blended family, the transition between part-time and full time parenting. We discuss the importance of creating stability and having good communication with both of the parents as well as how to shelter children from tabloid...

Today on Blended we have the wonderful Jimmy Akingbola. Jimmy is an actor and producer that currently plays the iconic Geoffery in the new rendition of The Fresh Prince, ‘Bel-Air’. Now living in the bright lights of Los Angeles, Jimmy returns home to the UK to reflect on how his upbringing shaped him in a moving documentary called ‘Handle with Care’. Jimmy takes us on an uplifting journey through his own experience as a child raised by parents of different ethnicities in foster care, how he...

Today’s guest on Blended is the wonderful Bodé Aboderinor as some people know him, Papa B! Bodé has recently written a book on fatherhood, called Fatherhood, that literally discusses what it means to be a father today. Bodé has a blended family himself but in today’s episode Kate hones in on the big topics, covering everything from Fatherhood and masculinity - and for parents who don't live with their children from a previous relationship, how to blend with new siblings and also how to keep...

*Trigger warning: This episode involves stories of domestic violence and physical abuse.* Today on blended we're talking about something that too often gets brushed under the carpet: domestic abuse. Today's guest Phoenix Brown who has been incredibly brave talking about her experience of growing up around emotional and physical abuse. She opens up about the abusive relationship her mom was in when she was young, the effect it had on her and about how great it felt when they got out. It's...

Today on Blended we are talking to 3 incredible women, Carina White, Natalie Duvall, and Nana-Adwoa Mbeutcha - who, as you’ll hear between them, each have their own different experience of Blended Families. Today’s topic in question is the Black Motherhood experience here in the UK. While this might be a bit different to what you’re used to on Blended, I found this conversation to be really powerful. A lot of us are nervous to have conversations that touch on race (me included!) but it is so...

Its baby loss awareness week, and as I'm sure most of you know, this is really close to my heart. At the start of this season I had a special sit down with Zoe Clarke Coates, where she opened up about baby loss, miscarriage, and pregnancy after loss. Zoe gave lots of amazing advice and support and today we have some bonus advice that Zoe has kindly shared for us all. Hopefully it will help you and yours to not feel alone, if this week is particularly difficult If you are struggling this week,...

Robyn Donaldson is an award-winning interior designer, writer and social media influencer. In today’s episode, Robyn opens up about her experiences with family estrangement - specifically from her mother because of the unhealthy and unhappy relationship they had growing up. In this candid conversation, Robyn shares a very unfiltered picture of her estranged reality, and how she came to cut ties with her mother completely. But she also talks of the love for her grandmother, who took on a...

Today on Blended we have a really special story to share - one of resilience, displacement through war, love and powerful solo parenting. You might know Ellie Prohan as the Queen of all things Hip Hop. She’s a hugely popular club DJ and regular collaborator with both Apple Music and Gay Times. Joining Ellie today is her amazing Mum Sonia - who as you’ll hear - with her girls, had to flee war in the Middle East and seek asylum in England. Ellie and Sonia have supported each other through so...

On today’s episode of Blended, Kate speaks with best selling author and grief counsellor Zoe Clark-Coates all about how her husband Andy experienced the devastating loss of five babies. A true believer that ‘everything you go through, good or bad, can be used for the positive’ Zoe founded The Mariposa Trust, a charity that helps anyone that is going through baby loss, and wrote the best-selling debut books ‘Saying Goodbye’ The Baby loss Guide’ ‘Beyond Goodbye’ and ‘Pregnancy After Loss’. In...

Welcome back to Blended. As you may have seen on my socials, I recently had a miscarriage... and while we have a full new season of Blended coming up for you, I thought it's only right to share just a little bit more around this, about what happened and how I'm feeling, so here I am. This podcast is about being open, about helping others and about sharing - and to me it's just really important to share my struggles and talk to you guys in the hope that it could just help one person. Learn...

On today’s episode of Blended, Kate speaks to Krept (best know as one of half Krept & Konan) and Sasha Ellesse (beauty and fashion influencer), who share the uplifting story of their co-parenting relationship today for the first time. As well as being co-parents to their gorgeous 2 year old baby girl Nala - the pair are (this week!) launching Nala's Baby, their new children's skincare brand together. We hear how they Juggle parenthood and running a business together, as well as advice for...