Kate Garraway has delighted viewers by returning to Good Morning Britain after a two-week absence. The TV personality was replaced by Charlotte Hawkins, who co-hosted the show alongside Ben Shephard, during her absence.
MORE: Kate Garraway pictured after two-week absence from Good Morning Britain
At the time, a spokesperson for Good Morning Britain confirmed to HELLO!: "Kate is on annual leave, so Charlotte Hawkins presented with Ben Shephard today and Ranvir Singh was on last Friday."
WATCH: Kate Garraway talks Derek after spending some weeks at home
Chatting about her return to GMB and why she had been away, Kate said: "Well, I've taken some time off. I haven't been feeling really well. I think it might have been one of those things when the chickens come home to roost after a long year.
"But we all have, haven't we? And I took some holiday leave at home, literally within the four walls of my home, had a lot of sleep and a bit of medicine, and feeling much better," she told Ben, who co-presented with her on Thursday.
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Adding a bit of humour to the situation, Ben said: "I mean, you have to bear in mind that a little time off for you, is a bit of time off for us as well."
Derek has been in hospital for nearly a year
The mother-of-two was later asked about her husband Derek Draper and if there had been any progress, to which she said: "I haven't seen him Ben, I haven't seen him since Christmas. He's back into a situation of looking at strangers in masks. And, you know, that's the situation for everybody who has someone in hospital, it's not new to him.
"It's tough, it's also the same for people in care homes. And when you are someone like him, who is, know you, dealing with unconsciousness problem, trying to emerge... I can't help but fear that it's not helpful," Kate added.
Ben said: "It's having people and faces he knows ..." to which Kate remarked: "I feel like it is and so that's very tough and there is no end in sight to that. That's a really tough thing we've got."
Kate said she felt much better after taking some time off to sleep and take some medicine
Kate has kept her fans updated with her husband's progress, who has been in hospital since March 2020 due to COVID-19.
Kate, who shares children Darcey, 14 and William, 11, with Derek, told the 5 Years Time podcast: "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. We don't know how much he can recover. So that's impacted on us, obviously, dramatically. So, it's been really difficult."
In an interview with Good Housekeeping magazine, she also spoke of the improvements Derek has been making. "It's very much two steps forward, three steps back," she said. "But if I think back to where we were in March 2020... When Derek's lungs were solid with infection and his infection rates were the highest doctors had seen in anyone who has lived, we're undoubtedly in a more positive place."
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