Kate Garraway's heartbreaking three-word comment on first Christmas without Derek

Viewers of Good Morning Britain are in for an emotional broadcast this Christmas Day, with host Kate Garraway set to deliver a heart-wrenching segment on the festive edition.

The programme, traditionally pre-recorded for the holiday, will see Kate reminding the audience that it marks her first Christmas following the passing of her husband Derek Draper, who lost his battle with Covid-19 on 3rd January 2024, aged 56.

The family, including children Billy and Darcey, has faced tremendous hardship since Derek was afflicted by the coronavirus, which left the Labour lobbyist fighting its devastating aftermath for nearly four years.

As Kate faces the season without her partner and the challenge of raising two children alone, she has shared her experiences of loss with her colleagues on the show.

During a poignant moment, while discussing the often overlooked efforts of carers with co-presenter Susanna Reid, Kate courageously admitted: "It's very raw Susanna to be honest. It's very raw."

Kate went on to describe how the past year, despite Derek's critical condition, had carried a glimmer of hope for improvement. Now enveloped in grief, she confides: "I mean this time last year, Derek was still alive - very sick."

The televsion star added: "We thought it was the toughest Christmas because weirdly in 2020 we had a lot of hope that he was coming out... I think that I am [still] in the early stages of grief... The pain and the feeling is still there," reports the Mirror.

Kate and her family have experienced a rollercoaster of emotions over the past four years, with Derek frequently fighting for his life. At one point, he was even placed into an induced coma after developing holes in major organs.

Following a lengthy hospital stay, in April 2021, Derek was finally taken off all machines and breathing apparatus. Kate and their children received the news they had been longing for - Derek could return home.

While this was positive news for the family, Derek was far from fully recovered and required round-the-clock care at their home. Their property had to be entirely refurbished and made more accessible for his return.

However, tragedy struck when Derek was readmitted to hospital in July 2022, and later that month, reports emerged that his condition had deteriorated.

The family's struggle with Derek's rare and chronic condition was documented in the ITV series Finding Derek. The emotional docu-series, which highlighted the daily challenges and adjustments the family faced, went on to win a National Television Award.

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV1 from 6am