Kate Garraway gives major update on husband Derek Draper’s health

Kate Garraway has given a major update on her husband Derek Draper’s health. 

Appearing on Loose Women on Thursday, the GMB host, 56, was asked by host Linda Robson whether Derek, 55, could speak, leading to the update. 

The author and former lobbyist was left close to death on several occasions since he caught Covid at the start of the pandemic in March 2020, and is now confined to a wheelchair and has been learning to speak again – but requires 24/7 care at home. 

She revealed: ‘It’s very much a whisper. I don’t think we’re necessarily going to have a conversation, but you get fantastic moments. Billy had a new basketball and was bouncing it, and he said ‘is that new ball?’ He said: ‘It’s nice’…

‘Seeing him able to was amazing. Billy was in tears; they were hugging. It’s things like that that really lift you up, and the next day he was really still.’ 

Details: Appearing on Loose Women on Thursday, the GMB host, 56, was asked by host Linda Robson whether Derek, 55, could speak, leading to the update

Back in April, Derek’s smiling return home from hospital gave fresh hope to his family and friends – three years after his body was first ravaged by Covid-19 and sepsis. 

Derek was taken into hospital on March 30 and remained in an unresponsive condition, later entering a coma. Days later Kate and her children isolated at home after she displayed ‘mild symptoms’.

She said at the time: ‘Derek remains in intensive care and is still very ill. I’m afraid it remains an excruciatingly worrying time. I’m afraid he is still in a deeply critical condition, but he is still here, which means there is hope.’

The following month his health deteriorated further.

Kate said at the time: ‘The journey for me and my family seems to be far from over as every day my heart sinks as I learn new and devastating ways this virus has more battles for Derek to fight.