‘Where there’s life, there’s hope’: Ben Shephard holds back tears as he sends well wishes to Kate Garraway’s husband Derek after his 10-week COVID-19 battle
- Kate’s former lobbyist husband Derek, 52, was taken into hospital on March 30 and is understood to be in an unresponsive condition
- During Friday’s GMB, the host, 53, cried as she revealed Derek is now free from coronavirus but is continuing to fight against the damage inflicted on his body
- The presenter’s colleague Ben, 45, struggled to speak moments after his close friend’s interview
- Kate and Derek have been married for 14 years and have two children Darcey, 14, and William, 10
- Derek is best known for his career as a lobbyist, working as an adviser to Tony Blair, before retraining as a psychotherapist
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
Kate Garraway’s Good Morning Britain colleague Ben Shephard held back tears after she shared a heartbreaking update on her husband Derek Draper following his 10-week coronavirus battle.
During Friday’s edition of the breakfast show, the presenter, 53, broke down as she admitted she ‘doesn’t know’ if her critically-ill partner can recover from the damage caused by the virus, which has claimed nearly 300,000 lives worldwide.
Following her brave interview, news anchor Ben, 45, struggled to speak as he sent his well-wishes to the former lobbyist, declaring: ‘Where there’s life, there’s hope’.
Emotional: Kate Garraway’s Good Morning Britain colleague Ben Shephard held back tears after she shared a heartbreaking update on her husband Derek Draper
Kate’s beloved friend said: ‘We’re sending so much love and prayers to Derek.
‘Where there’s life there’s hope and no matter how bleak it might be, or how bad it is, Derek is still there and we all, absolutely…’, he added before taking a long pause.
Gathering his thoughts seconds later, the TV star continued: ‘We agree that where there is life there is hope and we will keep our fingers crossed and prayers for Derek and Darcey and Bill [their children, aged 14 and 10] and for Kate.’
As the media personality grew emotional, his co-host Ranvir Singh told viewers they would be cutting to an advertisement break.
Brave: Media personality Kate, 53, has been staying strong as her husband, 52, slowly recovers from his 10-week coronavirus battle (pictured in 2019)
‘It’s tough’: During Friday’s edition of the breakfast show, the presenter broke down as she admitted she ‘doesn’t know’ if her critically-ill partner can recover from the damage
I’m A Celebrity star Kate cried as she revealed Derek, 52, is now free from coronavirus but is continuing to fight against the after-effects – and may be in a coma for a year.
She said: ‘Well there will be tears, I’ll try to keep them down, he’s still with us, he has fought the most extraordinary battle, the fact that he’s still here and holding on.’
‘I am so grateful that he’s still here, and I’ve got the option of praying while others have lost that.
Touching: Following her brave interview, news anchor Ben, 45, struggled to speak as he sent his well-wishes to the former lobbyist, declaring: ‘Where there’s life, there’s hope’
Difficult: ‘Where there’s life there’s hope and no matter how bleak it might be, or how bad it is, Derek is still there and we all, absolutely…’, the TV star added before taking a long pause
Stepping in: As he grew emotional, his co-host Ranvir Singh told viewers they would be cutting to an advertisement break
‘He’s very, very sick and as time goes on, it’s a virus, it’s like a computer virus, the doctors manage one but there seems to be a flicker of hope and other things emerge and they’re fighting that.
It has affected him from the top of his head to the tip of his toes. He is now COVID free, he has tested negative, the fight with the virus is over but it’s wreaked extraordinary damage on his body and we don’t know if he can recover from that.
The broadcaster spoke for the first time about Derek’s initial admission to hospital in March, revealing the last thing he said to her before he was put in a coma, was ‘you saved my life.’