Kate Garraway has revealed she often feels ‘frustrated, depressed and emotional’ as she opened up about caring for her husband Derek Draper.
The Good Morning Britain host, 55, made the revelation on World Mental Health Day on Monday, as she paid her respects to other carers.
Derek is one of the UK’s longest-suffering patients of Covid after being admitted to hospital with the virus in March 2020, only returning home in April 2021, where he receives round-the-clock care.
The TV personality said: ‘In the documentary [Caring For Derek] you saw me frustrated, depressed, emotional, and I’ve been all of those and more in recent weeks and months and more’.
‘Because that’s the thing with caring, you want it to carry on because you want the person to be surviving and still with you, so that you CAN care for them, but there isn’t an end point and it doesn’t get any easier.’
Hard work: Kate Garraway revealed she often feels ‘frustrated, depressed and emotional’ as she opened up about caring for her husband Derek Draper
Taking to Instagram, Kate shared a video as she spoke to the camera from her back garden.
She captioned the post: ‘Hello everyone – thank you for voting for our documentary ‘Caring for Derek’ – am so chuffed it’s been nominated for an #NTAAWARD this Thursday’.
‘We made the film to highlight the challenges and rewards of being a carer, but since then things haven’t got any easier either for Derek and I, nor for the millions of other carers right across the UK’.
‘@carersfirst have done some research & the economic crisis has left many feeling suicidal , hundreds of thousands with mental health issues & more than 93 percent say they can’t sleep because they are so terrified about the future’.
Tough: Derek is one of the UK’s longest-suffering patients of Covid after being admitted to hospital with the virus in March 2020, only returning home in April 2021, where he receives round-the-clock care (pictured together earlier this year)
Candid: The Good Morning Britain host made the revelation on World Mental Health day, saying she desperately wants the father of her two children to survive
Honesty: She captioned the post: ‘Hello everyone – thank you for voting for our documentary ‘Caring for Derek’ – am so chuffed it’s been nominated for an #NTAAWARD this Thursday’
‘On #worldmentalhealthday I have been thinking about what so many are going through. If you haven’t seen #caringforderek it is still on the @itv hub.
‘And if you feel moved to vote, then the link is in my bio – carers and anyone with a long term illness would feel so grateful not to be forgotten’.
It comes after Kate reflected on Derek’s recovery from Covid on ITV’s DNA Journey last week.
The television personality appeared on the show with fellow presenter Alison Hammond to retrace her ancestry but began by telling how Derek ‘remains very damaged’ as she spoke about her current family situation.
Speaking on the show Kate said: ‘2020 was a devastating year. With Derek, he got very sick very early on in the pandemic and has remained very damaged.
Tough: It comes after Kate reflected on Derek’s recovery from Covid on ITV ‘s DNA Journey on Thursday night
‘That is quite well documented because for a lot of people, he’s come to symbolise the fight that goes on.’
Kate also praised Alison – who she appeared on the show alongside – for being such a support to her during the difficult times with Derek.
‘Alison, she was messaging me to say she was thinking of me in that way,’ Kate explained.
Kate shares her two children – William, 13, and Darcey, 16 – with her husband and juggles raising her kids with looking after Derek and hosting Good Morning Britain.
Friends: Kate also praised Alison – who she appeared on the show alongside – for being such a support to her during the difficult times with Derek
The broadcaster revealed in July that Derek was back in hospital, however he has since returned home.
He was released from hospital last year but still requires round the clock care and daily medication amid his ongoing battle with long Covid.
Kate previously admitted that if left unaided for over three days, Derek could die. He is bed-stricken, with Kate doing much of the caring herself.
Also on DNA Journey Alison delved into her past during a trip to Jamaica with Kate.
The star, 47, was told about her great great great grandfather Jean Marie Escofferey who was deported from Jamaica to the Dominican Republic unlawfully.
Recovery: Speaking on the show Kate said: ‘2020 was a devastating year. With Derek, he got very sick very early on in the pandemic and has remained very damaged’
Alison then found out that he had been wrongfully accused of criminal activity regarding the selling of guns before a public enquiry proved him innocent and was returned to his home town.
Jean was then given £16,000 in damages – which would be worth around £50million in today’s money.
After hearing Alison’s story many took to Twitter to react, with one saying: ‘@AlisonHammond’s family story is emotional inspiring amazing story. A film waiting to be made & should be …..real life & a history that everyone should know.’
Story: Also on DNA Journey Alison delved into her past during a trip to Jamaica with Kate
Another said: ‘Loving this episode of DNA Journey. I love the story of Alisons relatives fighting racial injustice and opposing slavery. Fantastic, moving and LOL funny.’
A third wrote: ‘Watching #DNAJourney is always such a rollercoaster of emotions but I absolutely love it!’
Also on DNA Journey Kate discovered she is related to the creator of Paddington Bear, Michael Bond.
On the show, Kate was introduced to Karen Jankel, the daughter of the late author, as it was revealed the pair share the same three times great-grandparent.
They shared an emotional embrace after aptly meeting near the London train station that bears Paddington’s name.
The children’s book character famously arrived in London from the deepest, darkest jungles of Peru and first appeared in print in 1958 in the book A Bear Called Paddington.
Karen told Kate she wanted to introduce her to her ‘famous brother’, before revealing a stuffed toy of Paddington Bear – complete with a travel tag reading ‘Darkest Peru’.
‘Paddington and I grew up together,’ she told her.
‘The reason is that my father was Michael Bond, the creator of Paddington, which means that of course you are also related to Michael Bond.’
She said of the marmalade-loving bear: ‘He was always part of my family. He is so real to our family, and now to your family too, because he is a member of the family.
‘He used to sit on the table at meal times and my father used to talk to him and talk through him to us. Of course, I never knew anything else because he was always around.’
Reaction: After hearing Alison’s story many took to Twitter to react, with one saying: ‘ @AlisonHammond’s family story is emotional inspiring amazing story. A film waiting to be made & should be …..real life & a history that everyone should know’
Karen also showed Kate her first edition copy of A Bear Called Paddington, signed by her father in September 1959.
‘It was always my absolute favourite growing up,’ Kate admitted.
‘It has been said to me over the years that I do have a touch of Paddington Bear about me and that is because without meaning to, he does cause an extraordinary amount of chaos.’
The TV star also joked she used to regularly eat marmalade sandwiches during her time at university.
British author Michael Bond published more than 20 books featuring Paddington Bear before his death in June 2017 aged 91.
Surprising news: Also on DNA Journey Kate discovered she is related to the creator of Paddington Bear, Michael Bond
His creation – known for his battered hat, suitcase and duffle coat – remains a classic of children’s writing and featured in a sketch with the Queen during her Platinum Jubilee celebrations this year.
The Queen had delighted millions of viewers after appearing in the comic sketch with the bear to kick-start the Party in The Palace Jubilee Concert on June 4.
The pair had tapped out the beat of Queen’s We Will Rock You anthem together on china teacups using silver spoons as a unique way of getting the celebrations under way.
The sketch, which the Queen spent half a day filming, was hailed by Britons as better than her Olympic opening show cameo with James Bond.
After Queen Elizabeth II’s death on September 8, people also left Paddington Bear toys outside Buckingham Palace in memory of Her Majesty.
Emotional social media users also shared poignant tributes showing the Queen walking into the sunset with Paddington after the sad news of her death.
The Paddington books have sold more than 30million copies worldwide and been translated into approximately 30 languages.
Wow! On the show, Kate was introduced to Karen Jankel, the daughter of the late author, as it was revealed the pair share the same three times great-grandparent
The episode of DNA Journey also saw Kate visit Bristol with Alison Hammond to hear about her distant relative Frederick Lambert, her first cousin three generations removed.
Frederick lived and worked as a photographer in the city during the 1840s while still a teenager.
In a preview clip, shared to Instagram by Alison, Kate and the This Morning host joked that they could find out they were cousins on the show.
‘Would it change how you was with me?’ Alison asked Kate. ‘Do you think you’d come around to my house more often?’ To which Kate humorously replied: ‘Well look… do you think you’d invite me?’
DNA Journey airs on Thursday on ITV at 9pm.
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