ZapGossip

Kate Garraway returning to radio show so husband can hear her voice

Kate Garraway will return to work on her radio show, so her husband can hear her voice from his hospital bed.

The ‘Good Morning Britain’ presenter will be back on Smooth radio from 10am to 1pm everyday this week while her partner Derek Draper remains in intensive care after being hospitalised with coronavirus – which he is now free of – at the end of March.

Kate said: "I’m delighted to be returning to my morning show on Smooth and to my Global family who have been a big support to me.

"Things are still hugely challenging and a long way from being normal, but I’d like to think that this will give Derek yet another opportunity to hear my voice as well as many of the songs we both love.

"My heartfelt thanks go to Myleene Klass who has been brilliantly caretaking the show for me and to all my regular listeners for their messages of support.

"I can’t imagine there’s a more relaxing job to return to and I’m really looking forward to getting back into the studio."

Smooth managing editor Sally Ardis said: "We couldn’t be happier to welcome Kate back to her regular morning show.

"She has been missed by the whole team here, as well as by listeners, who have been keeping in touch with her to show their support."

Kate has also revealed her husband is one of only five people to have been so badly affected by complications of coronavirus.

He was placed in an induced coma to help fight off the illness, and while he’s since been brought round he is still in a minimally conscious state and it’s not clear if he’ll ever fully recover.

Damage to his pancreas has also left him diabetic, while there are holes in his heart and issues with his lungs and kidneys, as well as other problems.

She told the Mail on Sunday newspaper’s You magazine: "If they say this has improved today you don’t feel the euphoria you’d like because you have this feeling the next day something else will have gone wrong.

"At first it was all about Derek’s lungs. But then his kidneys started failing and he was on dialysis.

"Now they’ve realised Covid can affect every cell of the body: most recently Derek’s been having problems with his intestines.

"The absorption of food and vomiting are problems and they’re trying to work out whether that’s because his cells don’t produce the enzymes to digest. His liver and heart and blood vessels have been affected."