When TOWIE star Kate Wright first started dating football sensation Rio Ferdinand they kept their relationship heavily under wraps. But now over two years on from their first meeting, the nation knows the heartwarming story that is their romance.

With the pair's wedding just around the corner, here is the story of their relationship so far.

How Kate and Rio's relationship began

Rio had kept a low dating profile since the tragic death of his wife Rebecca in 2015, concentrating instead on raising his three kids Lorenz, 11, Tate, nine, and Tia, seven. On the other hand, Kate had been in a very public relationship with fellow TOWIE star Dan Edgar until they broke up in 2016.

However, both Kate and Rio found love again in January 2017, when the footballer was spotted leaving her house. By February Kate had reportedly banned hit ITVBe show TOWIE from any mention of Rio, insisting to producers that she wanted her relationship to be off camera.

Rio was apparently very upfront when asking Kate to be his girlfriend as she later revealed to The Sun: “We were eating a fry-up in a cafe in Bromley and he said, ‘I really like you and I really like your dog, will you be my girlfriend?’"

Kate’s relationship with Rio’s Kids

The reality star instantly bonded with Rio’s kids, as she told the Daily Mail: "Rio and I just clicked. I knew about the children and what had happened but at first I didn't give it much thought.

"When you meet someone you're just enjoying the moment, not thinking about how serious things might become. I fell in love with Rio, then I met the kids and fell in love with them."

So much so, that by September 2017 Kate had moved in with Rio and quit showbiz to focus on being a stepmother to his three children. She told The Sun: “I’m taking a step back from the public eye, I want to keep my life private as I lived my previous relationship on TOWIE, my priority right now is Rio and the family."

That very year they all spent their first Christmas together in matching pyjamas, and Kate told The Sun how she helped the children navigate the tricky time of year.

She said: “Rebecca is their mum and a mum is irreplaceable, so we have a special room with her photos and their grandmother’s photos in it.

“We do big occasions like Mother’s Day and Christmas. I know a lot more about their mum than they would think, so sometimes the kids will say, ‘How do you know that’?”

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Kate Wright and Rio Ferdinand: Inside their relationship

The reality star’s love for her stepchildren is obviously mutual and the kids are heavily involved in the couple’s relationship, as Rio explained on ITV’s This Morning.

He said: ”They have to be part of that conversation. There has not been one stage of going into this relationship where they've not been involved.

"Even in terms of introducing – how they want it to be done. As long as they feel they're involved and in the conversation, I think there's a chance they can reach happiness."

He added: "I'm really happy now, the kids are really happy, it's the happiest they've been. I'm in a relationship and it's going well. My kids deserve to be happy, they've had tragedy for the last few years of their lives."

How they got engaged

Rio proposed to Kate while they were all on a family holiday to Abu Dhabi with his kids present. Later he posted the pictures to Instagram with the caption: “She said yes. How these 3 kids kept it a secret I'll never know,” followed by a string of love heart emojis.

Kate then added of the proposal: “'The perfect end to our holiday … How could the answer not be yes.”

With a story as romantic as that, we are sure their upcoming wedding will be spectacular.

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