Video reveals what Rio would say to late wife
RIO Ferdinand opens up about his late wife Rebecca in a touching new campaign video about bereavement - revealing what he never got the chance to ask her.
The ex-United and England star wells up when he explains what he would say if he had just one more minute with her.
In the video, filmed for charity Child Bereavement UK, he looks visibly moved when he says: “If I was able to have one more minute with Rebecca, I’d probably, well I’d definitely, ask her about what she wanted with the children growing up at different stages, poignant moments in their development. “Tell her I love her. There’s loads.” Rio joins other celebrities like Mary Berry and Jason Watkins in the One More Minute campaign video, which encourages those who are suffering bereavement to open up about their loved ones.
The campaign also includes an 11-year-old boy, a 17-year-old girl, a widowed parent and a bereaved couple.
Rebecca died in 2015 after a short battle with breast cancer, leaving the couple’s three children without a mum.
Rio talked about the pain of losing his wife and his struggle to move on in his heartbreaking documentary Rio Ferdinand: Being Mum and Dad, which was aired earlier this year.
As part of the BBC documentary, the football star visited Child Bereavement UK’s headquarters to highlight how its staff help families come to terms with their grief.
Speaking of his experience as a patron of the charity, Rio said: “I think the work that Child Bereavement UK do is phenomenal work. The environment I’m from doesn’t do reaching out and emotional talking. Once I had broken that down and realised that I needed that help to help my children, I saw the benefit straight away.”
The charity’s chief executive, Ann Chalmers, said: “The film touches on the longing that many bereaved families tell us they have, to be able to have more time with the person who has died. In our 23 years of experience of supporting children, young people and families, this is something that is commonly expressed.”
The video will be aired on Channel Five tonight at 8pm. You can also watch the video online at www. onemoreminute.org