I was on TOWIE and I quit because I didn’t know who the real me was
A TOWIE star has candidly told how she quit the iconic reality TV series as she felt “I didn’t know who the real me was.”
Kate Ferdinand, 31, shot to fame on Towie when she was known as Kate Wright.
She used to work as a business support manager for a bank before reality TV fame beckoned, launching her to fame in 2015.
Kate joined the ITVBe series with friend Mike Hassini, with her first appearance on screen was during the Marbella special when she strode out in a bikini.
Having grown up in Essex, she was already good friends with cast members Chloe Lewis and Gemma Collins.
In one explosive scene, she famously called her former co-star Megan McKenna a “dog.”
Meanwhile, Kate was in a relationship with fellow TOWIE stalwart Dan Edgar for six years – and her bust-ups with her then on-off boyfriend were shown to the whole nation.
Kate quit the show in April 2017 after starting a romance with Rio.
Talking of trading reality TV fame to be a bonus mum to Rio’s three children Lorenz, Tate and Tia, Kate told Vicky Pattison’s The Secret To podcast: “That’s something I really struggled with – the just ‘who am I?’
“Who does everyone think I am? And it was a real journey.”
After ex Geordie Shore star Vicky admitted she “lost herself entirely” during some parts of the reality series and suffered an “identity crisis”, Kate resonated.
The star, who now shares son Cree with Rio after giving birth in 2020, added: “I felt exactly the same, not as extreme as Geordie Shore is slightly different to TOWIE because you are not going out boozing and drinking.
“But I felt as though I didn’t really know who the real me was and I felt torn.”
She added she was “so pleased” to be out of reality TV and said: “I feel really content where I am now.
“I felt like I was fighting something then, with people thinking they knew who I was.
“I just feel more relaxed in life now.”
Back in 2017, The Sun exclusively revealed how Kate was “taking a break” from TOWIE to focus on “business ventures” as her romance with Rio blossomed.
Kate told Bizarre: “I am taking a long break from the show to focus on my new business ventures and an exciting bikini range.”
At the time, a source added: “Kate has been so busy recently and doesn’t have the time to commit to the show.”