Kate Ferdinand has made a U-turn on claiming she was ‘homesick and struggling’ in Dubai, amid growing speculation about whether influencers are being paid to praise the government on social media.
The former TOWIE star, 34, previously opened up on relocating to the Middle East where she emotionally revealed she was struggling.
Now, in the latest episode of her podcast Blended, Kate appears to have had a change of heart, as she boasted how her kids are ‘learning things they wouldn’t in the UK’ amid her ‘mindset’ shift.
The star spoke in a Mother’s Day special of her podcast, which was recorded just two days before Dubai was caught up in conflict in the Middle East, with the UAE suffering hits from Iranian drones and missiles and regular air raid sirens.
Much of Dubai’s influencer army has faced claims they’re being paid to pump out ‘propaganda’, as many continue to praise the government on social media despite attacks from Iran.
While speaking about living in Dubai during Ramadan, Kate explained: ‘The kids have shorter days, my children are going to school from 8:45am and they get picked up at 1pm, so like they’re doing half days.
‘Everything changes, I like the energy, it’s quite calming – not when they kids come back at 1pm by the way – it’s just something that I’ve not experienced before.
‘It’s a different vibe and I feel like living in a country with different religions and so many different cultures, you learn so much and pick up so much.
Kate Ferdinand has made a U-turn on claiming she was ‘homesick and struggling’ in Dubai as she boasted how her kids are ‘learning things they wouldn’t in the UK’ amid her ‘mindset’ shift
In the latest episode of her podcast Blended, Kate appears to have had a change of heart as she said how the children are excelling academically since the move
‘My children are learning things that they wouldn’t… they might learn it in the UK but they wouldn’t actively be living it. That’s something that I really love about Dubai.’
When her co-host Nathalie Holmes-Lewis replied ‘Mashallah’, Kate said she wasn’t comfortable repeating the word due to her pronunciation.
She explained: ‘I don’t feel comfortable saying the words because I don’t think I’ve got the right voice but Cree will say the words because he’s learning Arabic whereas I feel a bit awkward with it still.’
Meanwhile, after sharing in a previous Instagram post to fans about how she has been feeling ‘overwhelmed and stressed’, Kate said she is working on slowing down – and adjusting her mindset.
She said: ‘Life is busy, I’m trying to slow down and not move at a fast pace everywhere. [It’s] not perfect, but I’m more aware of what I am doing, I’m trying to stop myself in my tracks sometimes.
‘Listen, I’ve got a busy life, but I’m actively trying to do like some breath work and some things to like change my mindset cause I realise nothing can change this apart from me.
‘You’ve got to actually make changes in your life so I’m trying to do that and I feel like it’s going OK.’
Since the conflict in the Middle East began on February 28, content creators with hundreds of thousands of followers between them have responded to Iranian attacks by sharing images of Dubai leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum alongside the words, ‘I know who protects us’.
The posts begin by asking ‘are you scared?’ before flashing up images of Al Maktoum waving to adoring crowds.
Sceptical social media users have responded by claiming the influencers are being paid by the UAE government, also several have spoken out to deny this.
Online content creators need a licence to operate in Dubai, and its government responded to the outbreak of war by threatening prison against anyone sharing information that ‘results in inciting panic among people’.
The tough stance is believed to have encouraged self-censorship by influencers in the Gulf state, with earlier clips of Iranian drone and missile attacks now swamped by posts lauding the regime.
There appears to be a deliberate attempt to avoid mentioning the war, with content creators mirroring the sanitised language of the city’s leadership.
In the first days of the conflict, the government cracked down on ‘citizen journalists’ reposting genuine footage of the first wave of attacks, which included a drone strike on the five-star Fairmont Hotel on the Palm Jumeirah.
The Dubai Media Office responded within a few hours by claiming that ‘outdated images of past fire incidents’ in Dubai were being spread to stoke fear among the city’s residents.
TikTokers taking part in the viral ‘I know who protects us trend’ typically start by sharing a photo of themselves accompanied by text sayig ‘you live in Dubai, aren’t you scared?’ or ‘do you feel safe in Dubai?’.
It then cuts to the montage of the UAE leader with the words, ‘no, because I know who protects us’. One such video has been viewed nearly 7million times.
Social media users have been quick to suggest the videos appear as if they have been sponsored by the government.
One hit out at influencers for ‘doing overtime trying to convince the rest of the world it’s all okay’ to which one of them, Bea Albero, responded with, ‘we are ok, I feel this way’.
Another TikToker, @julisjoking, shared a video rejecting accusations she had been paid to post the ‘I know who protects us’ meme before urging her followers to ‘trust God and trust the government’.
There are strict laws about criticising or insulting the UAE government or causing ‘reputational harm’ to the country which can result in fines of up to £200,000, or up to five years in prison, and possibly deportation.
It is a harsher sentence if you own property there.
However, his two eldest sons Lorenz, 19, and Tate, 17, have stayed in the UK.
She also discussed Mother’s Day as a step-parent on her podcast, as she and her co-hosts fielded emails from listeners who had personal dilemmas relating to their blended families.
Kate said: ‘Mother’s Day is great for many people, but for step-mum’s, it can sometimes be, what’s the word, you don’t always feel acknowledged, sometimes feel a bit down.
‘It’s hard, there’s lot of people to consider, and when someone has passed away, there’s a different type of energy and feeling around that person, you’re worried about everyone that’s involved.
‘You’re also a human with feelings so I think it’s about having a really honest conversation and being really clear, and you’re husband and partner being clear to everyone.’
She continued: ‘I try not to talk about myself but I’m going to talk about myself, we always say and the kids are at a age now that me being here and them loving me does not change their love for their mum.
‘She’s [their mum Rebecca] still always going to be up there, that is always there. You can love two people and it not take away from another. If you have five siblings, you can’t love all five of them because love is endless, you give as much as you want and receive as much.
Kate and Rio made the move Dubai with the footballer’s daughter Tia, 13, from his first marriage to his late wife Rebecca, and their children together, son Cree, five, and daughter Shae, two
‘I think it’s about people understanding that their mum is always going to be their mum.’
Kate, who had revealed her plans to visit the UK for Mother’s Day before the situation developed in the Middle East, concluded: ‘For me, I’m happy to talk about this, I don’t want Rio to post about me on Mother’s Day, I really, really don’t. Because I wouldn’t feel comfortable without him posting Lorenz, Tate and Tia’s mum.
‘It’s complex… I don’t mind, I know you love me, know the kids love me, like I’m confident with that.
‘Who cares what people think? I don’t care what people think if he doesn’t post about me, I know he loves me. Sometimes you’ve got to think about that. You’re loved, you’re safe, you’re ok. F*** everyone else.’
Kate previously said of her move to the UAE: ‘I am enjoying it, but I miss home quite a lot. I get upset. I miss the big boys a lot and I’m just struggling with that.
‘I know this decision is right for my younger children and as a family we are settled there, but the boys are following their football careers. So they’re doing what they want to do otherwise they’d be with us.
‘But it’s very hard because we’ve been through so much as a family and we’ve always been together and that’s a huge adjustment.’
Kate added that she and her family have felt far safer in Dubai than the UK, however she admitted she’s even begun to ‘miss’ the English weather.
