Politics
Ben Shephard breaks down in tears live on GMB as Kate Garraway’s husband Derek Draper returns home after Covid battle
BEN Shephard broke down in tears live on Good Morning Britain today as Kate Garraway’s husband Derek Draper finally returned home after his Covid battle.
The Sun revealed the former political adviser had been reunited with his family after being admitted to hospital over a year ago with coronavirus symptoms, before being placed in coma.
Ben – who is very close friends with his co-worker Kate – was overcome with emotion on hearing the news after what has been a really difficult year.
He looked back on the experience telling viewers: “I think it’s really important that as Kate said, she can’t share with us exactly where he is and he has a long, long way to go but this is a monumental step.”
Welling up in tears, he continued: “I remember sitting with her about a year ago and her telling me he had gone into hospital and what that felt like and just thinking at the time ‘he’s going to be fine, he’s going to be fine’ and it hasn’t been.”
The choked up star added: “It’s been anything but fine and not just for Kate, but everyone up and down the country who have been through this and lived this as well.”
It comes as…
- Kate Garraway’s stricken husband is back home after more than a year in hospital fighting Covid.
- His family has been warned that he still faces a “long and gruelling” fight to full health.
- Derek burst into tears after being reunited with his children for the first time in four months.
- Kate cried as she revealed she had made her husband his favourite meal
Earlier in the show, Ben thanked viewers for the messages of support as he told how Kate would be appearing.
“We are all smiling this morning,” he said.
“Living at home with Kate means an awful lot to us and it’s lovely when we see the messages about how excited and pleased you are.
“It is the first step on a very long journey trying to work out how it will unfold and what he needs.”
Derek has been taken off all machines but will continue to receive round-the-clock care at the family’s adapted property in North London.
Ranvir added: “He didn’t walk home and start making dinner, that’s what we mean.
“He luckily started saying a few words at the end of last year and now he’s responding regularly. “
Ben added: “We’ve prepared Kate, but I don’t think we have been prepared to go through this for the past year. To have them reunited has been a real moment.
“I don’t think she’s slept at all. There’s been a lot of adapting to do to the house and how the family will live.”
During her appearance on the show, Kate also broke down in tears as she discussed her husband’s return.
She recalled the emotional moment she lay four places at the table after her husband Derek returned home.
The presenter told Good Morning Britain she served up the 53-year-old’s favourite meal – a homemade casserole – on his second night back with her and their two children, Billy and Darcey.
“There have been so many little lovely moments,” said an emotional Kate about Derek coming home.
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“I have been saying this whole time to him, ‘when you get home you can have one of my casseroles.’
“He loves them by the way, that’s not a threat.
“He can swallow a bit now so I said ‘ok let’s see if we can somehow get you round the table with all four of us and we managed to do that.
“When I was laying out the plates I realised I was laying out four and… it makes me cry now…
“It feels like the start of a huge chapter, but a really, really big and important one.”
