Kate Ferdinand and ex-footballer husband Rio have relocated to their luxury Algarve villa after fleeing Dubai amid Iran's missile strikes, with Kate admitting she's pining for the UK
Bradley Jolly Overnight News Editor and Carly Hacon Showbiz Reporter
09:12, 24 Mar 2026Updated 09:15, 24 Mar 2026
Two individuals are standing together on an urban street, both wearing sunglasses and smiling. The backdrop features a paved pathway with bollards, a group of people walking in the distance, and a row of buildings along the horizon.
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Rio and Kate Ferdinand have fled war-torn Dubai and Iran's missile strikes for their luxury villa on the Algarve(Image: Instagram)
Reality TV personality Kate Ferdinand and her former footballer spouse Rio have escaped war-torn Dubai, it's understood.
The pair are now allegedly residing at their lavish villa on the Algarve close to Quinta do Lago, Portugal. They departed for the holiday retreat after Dubai was struck by Iran's suicide drones and missiles. Hostilities persist there as Donald Trump's administration contemplates sending an Army paratrooper division to the Middle East.
On Saturday, Rio, 47, shared an image of himself topless on his social media, enjoying a bottle of Portuguese Super Bock beer on a sun-drenched terrace and captioned: "That feeling when Liverpool + Chelsea drop points in the race for the top 4". It referenced the clubs' losses to Brighton and Hove Albion, and Everton respectively.
An adult man and woman are standing together by the pool, wearing swimwear, and posing for a photograph in a tropical location.
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They had been living in Dubai(Image: Instagram)
Yet the selfie was captured at the villa the celebrity owns on the Algarve, where he and 34-year-old Kate spent last summer holidaying with their children; son Cree, five and two year old daughter Shae, plus Rio's daughter Tia, 13, from his first marriage to late wife Rebecca.
Rio - who stepped down as a pundit for TNT last year - has two elder sons, Lorenz, 19 and Tate, 17, who stayed in the UK. Soon after they relocated, Kate expressed how she was yearning for the UK. The former TOWIE personality said: "I am enjoying it, but I miss home quite a lot.
"I get upset. I miss the big boys a lot and I'm just struggling with that.
"I know this decision is right for my younger children and as a family we are settled there, but the boys are following their football careers."
"So, they're doing what they want to do otherwise they'd be with us. But it's very hard because we've been through so much as a family and we've always been together and that's a huge adjustment."
Two individuals stand closely together against a backdrop featuring the logos "CARBONE" and "ATLANTIS THE ROYAL." The man is dressed in a beige overcoat, and the woman wears a black crop top.
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The couple have updated their fans(Image: Getty Images for Atlantis The Ro)
However, the mum, who works as a fitness expert, recently revealed she'd experienced a "mindset" transformation and enthused about how her children are "learning things they wouldn't in the UK." This includes Cree picking up Arabic.
Previously, Rio had discussed how he and his family had sought refuge in a bomb shelter during their initial days as rockets and drones poured down on Dubai from neighbouring Iran, reports the Mirror.
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Speaking on his podcast, the former Manchester United star said: 'It's frightening when you hear missiles, planes and fighter jets and you're hearing bombs.
"It's telling your kids what it is and helping them navigate through this moment, which is important especially as the dad of the house. You want to try and remain calm."
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