Rio Ferdinand ‘yet to grieve properly’ for late wife

Former footballer Rio Ferdinand will discuss the death of his wife in a BBC One documentary about parents who lose their partners.

In the programme, to be shown this spring, the father-of-three will open up about losing wife Rebecca to breast cancer in 2015 at the age of just 34.

“I don’t think I’ve grieved properly,” the ex-England captain and Manchester United star will say.

“I’ve not given myself that time to sit down and really flush everything out.”

Alison Kirkham, controller of factual commissioning and events, praised the 38-year-old for participating in a “revealing and immensely personal documentary exploring the complexities of grief”.

She said the “candid” hour-long film – called Rio Ferdinand: Being Mum and Dad – would offer audiences “an intimate exploration of the ways in which men similarly bereaved cope with their loss.”

Rio spent 12 years at Manchester United and won 81 caps for his country.

The couple had been together for several years before he and Rebecca married in 2009 and had three children together.

She died in May 2015.

At the time, Rio released a statement saying: “Rebecca, my wonderful wife, passed away peacefully after a short battle with cancer at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London.

“She was a fantastic loving mother to our three beautiful children. She will be missed as a wife, sister, aunt, daughter and granddaughter. She will live on in our memory, as a guide and inspiration.”

Rio retired a few weeks later, having played his last match for his final club, QPR, in March of that year. BBC News