Kate Garraway emotionally discusses husband Derek Draper’s long health battle

Kate Garraway was left emotional on Friday’s Lorraine as she discussed husband Derek Draper’s health battle.

The former Labour spin doctor is one of the UK’s longest-suffering patients of Covid. He first became ill in March 2020 and spent 13 months in hospital before finally being allowed to return home, where he receives round-the-clock care.

However, over the summer he was again hospitalised after he contracted life-threatening sepsis and was rushed into intensive care.

The broadcaster, 55, said that there “is no end point” to his care and explained that her new normal can be “exhausting” for those around her.

The Good Morning Britain host shared: “And the thing is when it’s a long battle like with Derek, there’s no end point and it can be exhausting for the people around me too.”

“I know sometimes people say, ‘oh she’s talking about that again’, but what I’ve learnt is you only really know what it feels like unless you’re in it.

“And now I get contacted by thousands and thousands of people who make me feel less alone.”

The ITV star, who is also mum to Darcey, 16, and Billie, 13, also discussed her husband’s current health after he battled life-threatening sepsis in hospital during the summer.

She added: “Oh, I mean you know, it’s a long onslaught.

“I can see he has better days; he has worse days. He is thankfully at home now. It’s been a long battle to get him back home again.”

The presenter joined her co-host Ben Shephard to discuss Good Morning Britain’s loneliness campaign and took the opportunity to thank him for his unwavering support.

Shephard teased: “Kate is so incredible in the way that she’s juggling all these balls in her life.

“I go to her house and my instinct is to put everything in the bin and get rid of all the junk she’s got lying about in there.”

Garraway replied earnestly: “Ben, all jokes aside and as cheeky that he can be, has been amazing.”