Manchester United icon Rio Ferdinand has spoken to the former England star, who is currently living in Dubai amid the ongoing conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States.
Rio Ferdinand announces the latest information (Image: Instagram)
Rio Ferdinand has spoken about life in lockdown in Dubai amid a series of missile attacks near his home.
Former Manchester United defender Ferdinand, 47, and his wife Kate, 34, moved to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in August last year with their children Shay, five, Cree, two, and Rio’s daughter Tia, 14.
He joins a long list of celebrities who have chosen to move to the Middle East, with former boxer Amir Khan and Hollywood star Lindsay Lohan also settling in Dubai.
But in recent days, Dubai has been under attack by Iran, leaving Ferdinand feeling lost and “fearful” for the future of his wife and three children.
read more: Kate Ferdinand forced to sleep in basement with children after ‘very frightening’ Dubai airstrikeread more: Katie Price’s husband Lee Andrews shares love note after Iranian attack shakes Dubai
“It’s been a different week for me, I’m not going to lie,” Ferdinand said on the latest episode of Rio Ferdinand Presents. “First of all, I trained with my whole family this morning, so I’m feeling really good.It’s a little bit like during COVID-19, and we’re all doing things together as a family that we don’t normally do together.
“Today we’re doing a little bit of homeschooling. We hear missiles, planes, fighter jets and we don’t know what they are, but it’s scary when they fly over us and we hear a big bomb. We don’t know what it is because we don’t know the details.
“It’s about letting the kids know what’s going on and helping them get through this moment. This is especially important as the father of the house. You want to stay as calm as possible and try to keep everyone calm.”
“To be honest, it was a bit scary, but at the same time, strangely enough, I felt very safe and looked after. My studio became my bomb shelter.
“The first night it started, we were invited to go into the basement and we slept here with duvets and stuff. We’re using the space wisely.”
Ferdinand moved his young family to Dubai in 2025 (Image: rioferdy5/Instagram)
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Meanwhile, former TOWIE star and TV personality Kate provided an update on her family’s current situation, reassuring fans that they are safe after a “very scary night”.
She wrote, “Thank you for all the messages and sorry for the silence. I didn’t want to worry you guys but I just couldn’t find the words. We are safe.”
“The government has done a great job maintaining this situation and despite the tension we feel very safe. We’re hoping tonight will be a calm night, but last night was very scary. Cree and Shay loved it because they couldn’t believe we were all having a sleepover in the basement.”
“Thank you for all your prayers. This whole experience has been so eye-opening and I’m praying for everyone affected. Sending you all lots of love.”
Rio’s other children, Lorenz, 19, and Tate, 17, did not move to Dubai with the rest of the family as they continued to pursue their soccer careers in their native Britain.
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