Kate Garraway breaks down in tears as she discusses husband Derek’s battle with coronavirus

Kate Garraway broke down in tears as she discussed her critically-ill husband Derek’s battle with coronavirus on Friday’s Good Morning Britain.

The presenter, 53, cried as she revealed Derek, 52, is now free from coronavirus but is continuing to fight against the damage inflicted on his body by COVID-19.

She said:  ‘Well there will be tears, I’ll try to keep them down, he’s still with us, he has fought the most extraordinary battle, the fact that he’s still here and holding on.’

Brave: Kate Garraway broke down in tears as she discussed her critically-ill husband Derek’s battle with coronavirus on Friday’s Good Morning Britain

Health update: The presenter, 53, cried as she revealed Derek is now free from coronavirus but is continuing to fight against the damage inflicted on his body by COVID-19 (pictured in 2019)

Health update: The presenter, 53, cried as she revealed Derek is now free from coronavirus but is continuing to fight against the damage inflicted on his body by COVID-19 (pictured in 2019)

‘I am so grateful that he’s still here, and I’ve got the option of praying while others have lost that

‘He’s very, very sick and as time goes on it’s a virus, it’s like a computer virus, the doctors manage one but well seems to be flicker of hope and other things emerge and they’re fighting that

‘It has affected him from the top of his head to the toes.’

The star added that Derek is now free from coronavirus but is now battling the damage it has caused to his body. 

She said: ‘He is now COVID free, he has tested negative, the fight with the virus is over but it’s wreaked extraordinary damage on his body and we don’t know if he can recover from that. 

Kate spoke for the first time about Derek’s initial admission to hospital in March, revealing the last thing he said to her before he was put in a coma, was ‘you saved my life.’   

She said: ‘In that first week it looked like he was rallying.

‘But then he was very bad, he couldn’t really speak to me, he could shout things to me on speakerphone,

‘He was begging me, he said “I can’t take this, I feel like I’m suffocating”, he said “please let them put me in a coma” and they didn’t want to do that.

‘On Sunday they’re said “we’re going to put him in a coma as overnight we think we have to do that.”

He said: ‘I love you, I’m sorry I have to leave you, you’ve saved my life”.

‘I think he thought I had asked the doctors to put in him in a coma

‘He said “being married to you, the children, you saved my life”.’ 

Kate said Derek did not have any underlying health conditions and doctors were unable to explain why the virus had affected him in the way it had.

Speaking about the start of Derek’s illness, she said: ‘Derek had a painful shoulder for a couple months, and had been taking medication and having scans

‘He was due to have a steroid injection, he felt unwell and was home tutoring the kids

‘I got back and said “you don’t you look right babe, i think it’s the painkillers.”

‘I just had this weird feeling, asked if he had a cough. He didn’t, he said “I think I’ve got weird sinusitis.”‘

‘I rang the doctor, I said “you don’t look great, no real feeling that it’s COVID, he had none of those symptoms.’

‘Around the 29/30 March, I came home came in and said “god you look ill.”

He said he had a headache, numbness in his right hand, and was struggling to breathe, 

‘I rang Dr Hilary (Jones) and tried to get through, he talked to Derek. He said put me back on, I think you need to call an ambulance

‘I said “I can’t believe I’m calling an ambulance”, I was very scared.’

‘He said we need to take him to hospital straightaway, he didn’t have a temperature, and I helped him down the stairs 

‘He’d never been to hospital before, he never really gets ill and they put a mask on him to breathe

‘He saidto the kids: ‘You’re the best children anyone could ask for, be good for mum, look after her and that was it. He went straight to intensive care.’

This comes as Kate, her son Billy, 10, and daughter Darcey, 14, clapped for carers on Thursday night, a week after the official tribute ended. 

The Good Morning Britain host took to Instagram to share a video of herself and her children applauding key workers in her kitchen. 

Derek, 52, has been in a coma after 10 weeks in intensive care as he continues to battle the virus.

Kate has not been on Good Morning Britain since Derek fell ill in March. 

Stay positive: Kate , her son Billy, 10, and daughter Darcey, 14, clapped for carers on Thursday night

Stay positive: Kate , her son Billy, 10, and daughter Darcey, 14, clapped for carers on Thursday night

Kate said in the video: ‘Thank you NHS’, and smiled as her children clapped for the camera. 

The television personality wrote: ‘No official #clapforcarers tonight but we just wanted have our own mini one as our heart felt thanks go on to all fighting to keep Derek with us. 

‘Tomorrow I will have the chance to update you & thank you for all your support on @gmb – see you at seven. #hope #staypositive’. 

Hope: The television personality wrote: 'No official #clapforcarers tonight but we just wanted have our own mini one as our heart felt thanks go on to all fighting to keep Derek with us'

Hope: The television personality wrote: ‘No official #clapforcarers tonight but we just wanted have our own mini one as our heart felt thanks go on to all fighting to keep Derek with us’

Applause: Kate said in the video: 'Thank you NHS', and smiled as her children clapped for the camera

Applause: Kate said in the video: ‘Thank you NHS’, and smiled as her children clapped for the camera

Brave: Kate said: 'Tomorrow I will have the chance to update you & thank you for all your support on @gmb - see you at seven. #hope #staypositive'

Brave: Kate said: ‘Tomorrow I will have the chance to update you & thank you for all your support on @gmb – see you at seven. #hope #staypositive’

A host of stars commented on Kate’s post. Nicola McLean typed: ‘Sending you all so much love’, while Kimberley Walsh posted a red love heart emoji.

Helen Skelton added: ‘Sending love’. 

Kate has not been on Good Morning Britain since Derek fell ill in March. 

Well wishes: A host of stars commented on Kate's post. Nicola McLean typed: 'Sending you all so much love', while Kimberley Walsh posted a red love heart emoji

Well wishes: A host of stars commented on Kate’s post. Nicola McLean typed: ‘Sending you all so much love’, while Kimberley Walsh posted a red love heart emoji

Last week, Kate wiped away tears as she took part in a nationwide applause in honour of the NHS key workers for the final Clap for Carers.

She also shared an update about Derek in a heartfelt Instagram post, revealing while her ‘heart sinks everyday’ her husband is ‘still here’ although his battle is ‘far from over’. 

Derek, was taken into hospital on March 30 and is understood to be in an unresponsive condition as he remains in a critical care unit. 

Battle: The Good Morning Britain presenter wiped away tears as she took part in a nationwide applause in honour of the NHS key workers last week

Battle: The Good Morning Britain presenter wiped away tears as she took part in a nationwide applause in honour of the NHS key workers last week

Derek is best-known for his career as a former lobbyist. During his time as a political adviser he was embroiled in two political scandals – 1998’s Lobbygate and in 2009 a scandal surrounding LabourList, the website he edited.

He went on to write two books – Blair’s 100 Days and Life Support – before retraining as a psychotherapist. 

Kate and Derek have been married for 14 years, with the former lobbyist cheering his wife on for the duration of her stint on I’m A Celebrity last year, he flew out to Australia with their two children to meet her. 

The couple, who wed in September 2005, have previously discussed their union, with Derek admitting that he feared she was ‘a high-maintenance TV bimbo’. 

Following her stint on I’m A Celebrity, the couple were planning to renew their vows in the coming months.  

Marriage: Kate and Derek have been married for 14 years (pictured in 2010 with their son Billy)

Marriage: Kate and Derek have been married for 14 years (pictured in 2010 with their son Billy)

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk