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Kate Garraway wears peach blouse© Shutterstock

Kate Garraway says husband Derek Draper is 'not doing well' in worrying update

The Good Morning Britain presenter's husband contracted COVID-19 in 2020

Phoebe Tatham
Content Writer
October 10, 2023
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GMB presenter Kate Garraway has issued a worrying update on her husband Derek Draper’s health.

Speaking at the 2023 Pride of Britain Awards, the mother-of-two, 56, told Metro how he was "not doing great."

WATCH: Kate Garraway explains why she avoids talking about husband Derek Draper

Opening up to the publication, she revealed: "He's not doing great, to be honest. But the battle goes on."

Kate's husband Derek first fell seriously ill back in 2020 when he contracted COVID-19. He is now the longest surviving coronavirus patient in the UK and requires round-the-clock care at home.

Kate Garraway arrives at the Pride Of Britain Awards 2023 at Grosvenor House on October 8, 2023 in London, England.© Getty
Kate wowed in hot pink at the 2023 Pride of Britain Awards

The 56-year-old spent 13 months in hospital before finally being allowed to move back to his family home, where Kate and specialist nurses have been taking care of him ever since.

This isn't the first time Kate has spoken about her loved one's health battle. Last month the broadcaster shared a glimpse inside Derek's "emergency setbacks" during a candid interview with Good Housekeeping.

The author and documentary maker said: "I'd love to be able to tell you that, since Derek has been home, everything has been easy, that the miracle of him being at home has turned the day-to-day challenges into a breeze.

Kate posing alongside her husband Derek and her parents in Windsor© Getty
Derek fell seriously ill in 2020

"But because we keep having emergency setbacks and he's had to be rushed back into hospital so many times, the fear of him dying has never left us. The unpredictability of his day-to-day condition means we're living on a rollercoaster."

Derek's ongoing health battle has also had a lasting effect on the couple's two teenage children Darcey and William. 

Kate on the red carpet with her daughter Darcey© Getty
Kate on the red carpet with her daughter Darcey

During a recent appearance on This Morning, Kate revealed how their kids are now dealing with their "own traumas".

She said: "He is most alive when they're around. They are unbelievable. I haven't really talked a lot about them in some ways, but they've had their own traumas and it's not my story to tell."

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Kate went on to say: "So maybe one day they'll tell it, I want to try and protect them in that way, but they've been amazing with him in their different ways. They're so intuitive and it is love, I guess, isn't it."

What treatment is Derek Draper receiving?

In February 2022, Kate revealed that she had visited a specialist clinic in Mexico after an eminent doctor saw her Finding Derek documentary and got in contact with the TV star.

Derek Draper watching TV covered in blankets with his children© Instagram
Derek is receiving care at home after being hospitalised with COVID-19

Kate said she's reluctant to share too much about what the treatment is, telling her GMB co-stars: "I want to be slightly careful about saying too much, because I'm aware everybody will go, 'What is the trial?'"

"It's all come about because of the first documentary. This is a doctor who works in the US and he's been working for 13 years on clinical trials of this treatment and he is just at the point of waiting for approval on it and of course, 11 years ago there was no such thing as Covid so he's been looking at it for other things."

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