Good Morning Britain presenters Ben Shephard and Charlotte Hawkins sent well wishes to their colleague Kate Garraway on Thursday (July 21) as they explained why she was missing from the early morning ITV show.
Highlighting Kate's absence, Shephard said: "We are missing a member of the team, aren't we?"
"We are, yeah." Hawkins replied, before explaining that Garraway was visiting her husband Derek Draper in hospital.
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"Kate's taken some time out to be with Derek at the moment so we are sending lots of love. Lots of you have been in touch with messages of support, so we wish him well," Hawkins told the viewers at home.
Shephard added: "Thanks very much for your messages of support, you know how much Kate appreciates all the support she gets, and fingers crossed Derek will be home as soon as possible."
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Following the programme, an ITV spokesperson told Digital Spy: "Kate is taking some time off work over the next few days, and is hoping to be back to her normal presenting duties as soon as possible."
Garraway's husband has suffered from varying health issues in recent years after contracting COVID-19 in March 2020. After spending months in hospital, Draper eventually returned to their family home where he received round-the-clock care.
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However, while speaking about Draper's health struggles at the TRIC Awards earlier this month, Garraway confirmed her husband had returned to hospital.
"He's been in hospital a couple of months now," the presenter told The Sun. "He's been coming in and out. Hopefully he'll come out again."
The couple have been married since 2005 and together have a daughter named Darcey and a son called William.
Garraway has released two documentary programmes following her husband's difficult health journey in recent years.Kate Garraway: Finding Derek aired in March 2021, a year on from Draper's coronavirus diagnosis, and its follow-up Kate Garraway: Caring for Derek aired in February 2022.
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV.
News Editor, Digital Spy
Emma is an experienced entertainment news journalist with NCTJ accreditation and a First-Class Honours Degree in Journalism. Having started her career as a broadcast journalist, Emma’s voice has been heard on varying radio stations across the UK including Absolute, Magic, BBC Three Counties Radio, LBC London News and more.
Later specialising in multimedia entertainment news, Emma has brushed shoulders with numerous famous faces and interviewed the likes of Edward Norton, Margot Robbie, Sir Michael Palin, Rick Astley, and too many soap stars to count. Having produced a range of engaging news content over the years for brands such as 7Digital’s Entertainment News, Yahoo, and Express Online, Emma eventually joined Digital Spy in 2022 as Deputy News Editor, becoming Acting News Editor in 2023 and then News Editor in 2024.
While she’s gained lots of praise during celebrity interviews throughout her career, the most memorable compliment Emma’s ever received was when a Game of Thrones star remarked "Your teeth are stunning!". LinkedIn
