Piers Morgan has said his GMB co-host Kate Garraway is ‘in terrible limbo’ over her husband Derek Draper battle with coronavirus.
The TV presenter, 55, reflected on the former lobbyist’s ongoing fight with Covid-19 on Friday, saying his ‘heart breaks’ for the broadcaster, 53.
Derek, 53, remains in hospital after being admitted in March last year with the virus, while he no longer has it the disease has left him suffering from multiple health conditions including diabetes and holes in his heart and lungs.
‘My heart breaks for her’: Piers Morgan shared his sympathy for Kate Garraway on Friday and claimed she is in a ‘terrible limbo’ amid husband Derek Draper’s Covid battle
Speaking to The Sun about Kate and Derek, Piers said they ‘hoped he would make a quick recovery’, but claimed: ‘It’s talked about that he may never come out of it, she doesn’t know, she’s living in this terrible limbo.’
Going on to talk about Kate and Derek following her stint in 2019’s I’m A Celebrity, he went on: ‘I’ve never seen them happier, they were going to review their wedding vows. Then that happened
‘Kate went from being on top of the world to being at the bottom of the world. My heart breaks for her. And it carries on breaking for her. It’s a nightmare for her.’
Illness: Derek (pictured with Kate in December 2019) remains in hospital after being admitted in March last year with the virus
Struggle: Of Derek’s health condition, Piers said they ‘hoped he would make a quick recovery’, but claimed: ‘It’s talked about that he may never come out of it, she doesn’t know’
On Tuesday, Lorraine Kelly revealed Kate told her she has to ‘keep going for the kids’ as her husband Derek remains in hospital.
The Good Morning Britain host has often spoken candidly about her husband’s ongoing fight and supporting their two children Darcey, 14 and William, 11, since he was diagnosed with the potentially deadly virus in March last year.
Speaking to OK! magazine, fellow ITV star Lorraine, 61, described Kate as ‘incredible’ amid Derek’s health battle.
Thoughts: Going on to talk about Kate and Derek following her stint in 2019’s I’m A Celebrity, he went on: ‘I’ve never seen them happier, they were going to review their wedding vows’
Emotional: Piers added, ‘Kate went from being on top of the world to being at the bottom of the world. My heart breaks for her. And it carries on breaking for her’
She said: ‘Honestly, she is the bravest girl. I don’t know how she does it. We’ve known each other for years and I’ve always really liked her because, obviously, she’s lovely but she is also a steel magnolia.
‘She’s been incredible. She says she’s not doing anything anyone else wouldn’t do but I’m not so sure about that. And of course, she says she’s to keep going for the kids.’
Lorraine recalled interviewing Kate on her chat show about how she was dealing with Derek’s prolonged stay in hospital.
Support: On Tuesday, Lorraine Kelly revealed Kate told her she has to ‘keep going for the kids’ as her husband Derek remains in hospital
Lorraine said: ‘She’s been incredible. She says she’s not doing anything anyone else wouldn’t do but I’m not so sure about that. And of course, she says she’s to keep going for the kids’
The broadcaster said it reminded her how ‘serious’ Covid is and is also why she gets so angry with people who do not wear masks or believe conspiracy theories about the pandemic.
She said: ‘We were talking about Derek and I just wanted to give her a big cuddle. Because of what happened to her, it brought it home to all of us at work just how serious this is.’
Speaking recently on the 5 Years Time podcast, Kate confessed that after months of uncertainty, she is still unsure if Derek will recover, but is continuing to hold out hope.
She explained: ‘It’s been really tough for us. Derek got really sick in the beginning of March. Even though we’re hoping he can recover, it’s taking a very, very long time.
Finally: Kate’s children, daughter Darcey, 14 and son William, 11, finally got to visit their father in hospital in December (pictured in 2018)
‘We don’t know how much he can recover. So that’s impacted on us obviously dramatically. So, it’s been really difficult.’
Revealing that she had a more positive outlook this year, she added: ‘Everybody is hoping 2021 will bring just a bit of hope and relief.
‘The vaccine is here now, so everybody is hoping that will help Covid, I think, and help us regain some normality.’
Kate also noted that returning to work on GMB and hosting Smooth Radio has provided a welcome distraction amid her personal crisis.
Honest: Kate recently confessed that after months of uncertainty, she is still unsure if Derek will recover, but is continuing to hold out hope (Derek pictured with their children in 2019)
Back in September, he passed the grim milestone of becoming the longest patient battling coronavirus in hospital in the UK, with doctors telling Kate that Derek’s infection was the ‘highest they had seen in a patient who had lived’.
Although Derek continues to fight his illnesses, doctors have warned that he may ‘never come out of a coma’.
Speaking on GMB last week, Piers urged viewers to take the virus seriously and made the stark revelation that Derek remains in perilous condition.
In his desperate message to viewers, Piers said: ‘We know from our colleague Kate Garraway, whose husband is still in a coma from Covid. He may never come out of that coma. She’s been told this, and it’s heartbreaking.’
Health: While Derek no longer has coronavirus, the virus has left him suffering from multiple health conditions including diabetes and holes in his heart and lungs (pictured in 2019)
Just days before, Kate gave a heartbreaking update on her husband’s ongoing battle with Covid-19, saying ‘his body has been ravaged’ by the virus.
Kate spoke to Piers and Susanna Reid about her upcoming book which will detail the last year of her family’s life, admitting she’s been feeling ‘physically low and at the end of my tether’ since Christmas.
‘Derek’s still ravaged from the effects of Covid from way back in March, his recovery is incredibly uncertain,’ Kate explained.
Tough year: Kate will release a book about her struggle, The Power Of Hope, in April
She added that she’s working with Derek’s medical team to come up with new treatments but she’s finding the scale of the current Covid death rate ‘unbearable’.
‘I’m trying to look for new things and new ways and talking to doctors about what we can do for him meanwhile people are still dying in extraordinary numbers – people that aren’t older and haven’t got underlying conditions, it’s unbearable.’
She added to Piers that he inspired her to write her book The Power Of Hope after he told her to keep a diary since the early days of Derek’s illness:
‘You and Susanna say: “You’re just an inspiration to keep going”, and I thought if I could tell my story and some of the people that have helped me then maybe that will be helpful for people.’
Kate took to Instagram to share the front cover of her ‘raw and emotional story’, The Power Of Hope, about her husband’s ‘long fight’.
Kate told her followers Derek’s ‘journey is far from over’ and the family are working out what their ‘new future will look like’.
She wrote: ‘Hello everyone – I’ve not been on here for a while as I’ve been taking time to gather myself and focus like everyone else on getting through this latest lockdown.
‘The pandemic is far from over and so is Derek’s journey but I have decided to share our story and what’s helping to keep me going, as we all try to work out what our new futures will look like.
‘I am really hoping that it will help you with all that you are going through.’
Derek has regained minimal consciousness from his medically induced coma and while he has not been speaking, he heartbreakingly mouthed the word ‘pain’ in October last year.
Kate’s children finally got to visit their father in hospital in December.
She admitted the family reunion was ‘heightened with emotion’ because her children saw how Derek was ‘very changed’ by his battle with the virus.
She explained: ‘It was very heightened with emotion, because he’s very changed.
‘So all the routines that we’d normally do, it was one of those moments that it was so wonderful but also it amplified how sad everything was. And how different it is.
‘But it was still fantastic, and we’re very grateful to have had that opportunity.’
Kate has been unable to see Derek due to new restrictions introduced during the third lockdown, which bans any visitors on the COVID-19 ward where he is recovering.