Kate Garraway was reduced to tears as she spoke about how she has been coping over the last 13 months whilst her husband Derek Draper continues to recover from the effects of coronavirus at home.
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During Sunday night's edition of Piers Morgan's Life Stories, the Good Morning Britain star confessed she feels "lonely" as things are not the same and sometimes, his "presence reminds her of the absence".
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Derek, 54, was rushed to hospital in March last year after contracting COVID-19. He spent over a year in hospital before he was finally discharged and able to return home in April 2021 to be cared for by Kate and their children Darcey, 15, and Billy, 12.
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"There are lots of moments of joy in that, recognition, moments with the children where he definitely knows what they're saying to him and remembers things," she explained. "But there is no way of knowing what the future is and, in the meantime, it's a strange thing Piers..."
A teary Kate then added: "I want him there and I want him back, but some days his presence reminds me of the absence, so you can feel very lonely. I feel like I just want to talk to Derek. Even though I believe he's there, he can't be there in that same way. I love him more than ever by the way."
© Photo: ITVKate appeared on Sunday night's edition of Piers Morgan's Life Stories
During the programme, the couple's two children Darcey and Billy also made an appearance as they revealed just how proud they are of their mum.
"She's amazing obviously," remarked Darcey. "She looks after us, she always encourages us, it's really good. We're really proud of her."
Sharing a new health update, Kate revealed that her husband Derek is in a "terrible state" - but he can now say the words "I love you".
"It's devastated him. From the top of his head to the tip of his toe," she said. "His digestive system, his liver, his kidneys, his heart, his nervous system. We're pretty sure that the inflammation did pass through the brain. He still can't communicate, he still has issues with mobility. Fundamentally, he's in a terrible state. Look, he's alive, Piers."
© Photo: RexKate's husband Derek spent one year in hospital
Both Kate and Piers also mentioned the phone call the former GMB star had with Derek before interviewing his wife – in which Derek said, "Hello" and "thank you".
"It's moments like that that make you realise that he is in there," Kate reasoned. "And we've had others - he will turn to me and say, 'I love you.'
"He's fought so hard to stay in this world and I'm not giving up on him ever. He will have moments of clarity and it's like he disappears again."
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