Kate Garraway reflects on how her relationship has changed with husband Derek

• Kate Garraway’s husband Derek Draper caught Covid-19 in March 2020.
• He is now virus-free, but his organs have been permanently damaged.
• “I do feel there’s room for celebration, though, and my hope is that if we do eventually have a ceremony, Derek will be further along in his recovery and we can go together” Garraway says of her husband’s battle with leukaemia.

Kate Garraway has talked about how her relationship with her husband has changed since becoming his carer.

After catching Covid-19 in March 2020, Derek Draper, a 54-year-old former political strategist, developed major health issues.

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Although he is now virus-free, his organs have been permanently damaged, necessitating at-home care.

Garraway, 55, who is the magazine’s August cover star, explained in an interview how “so much has changed” that she has had to discover new ways to develop a relationship with her spouse.

“When you nearly lose someone, it certainly brings everything into sharp focus,” she told the magazine.

“In many ways, we’re still learning how we are as man and wife, as so much has changed.

“It’s the same for the children – they’re having to relearn the experience of being with their dad. And, of course, the biggest learning is for poor Derek.”

The Good Morning Britain host participated in two ITV films that followed the life of her family following Draper’s sickness.

Garraway has remained upbeat despite the challenges, and she recently learned that she has been appointed an MBE in this year’s New Year’s Honours.

She stated of the news: “It was amazing! But I haven’t received it yet, so I don’t want to tempt fate in case they retract the offer!

“I do feel there’s room for celebration, though, and my hope is that if we do eventually have a ceremony, Derek will be further along in his recovery and we can go together. That would be wonderful.”

Garraway credits adapting to her husband’s illness with teaching her to appreciate life more and to live in the now.

She said: “I try to live in the moment more than ever before.

“I’ll send an email and think, ‘OK, I’ve sent the email. I can’t do anything more about that now, so I’m just going to look out the window and notice how pretty the sky is.’

“I really try to seize those moments because when you do, you realise that life is just a collection of moments – and finding more good ones than bad ones is probably the secret to it all.”

Kate Garraway is also the host of a brand-new ITV programme called Garraway’s Good Stuff, where he will be joined by friends and famous people for an upbeat lifestyle show.

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She said: “It’s been wonderful to do. There isn’t anybody who hasn’t been affected by the pandemic in some way, so I wanted to be part of a show that would make people feel good, where they could find ways to save money or take control of their health.

“We have brilliant guests every week who share what brings joy into their life – what’s not to love about that?”