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Kate Garraway reveals 'difficult' Christmas plans amid husband Derek's COVID recovery

Derek Draper was hospitalised with COVID back in 2020

kate garraway headshot
Sharnaz Shahid
Deputy Online Editor
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Kate Garraway has opened up about her plans for Christmas, and how her family are adjusting to the "new normal" now that husband Derek Draper is home.

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Speaking to Woman's Own magazine, the Good Morning Britain host admitted that she knows things will be different this year but hopes she can take him to Chorley to see his family.

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"This year, we have got him home - and fingers crossed we can keep him home," she explained. "Of course, he's not going to be putting on his Santa costume, going out with [daughter] Darcey for a father-and-daughter Christmas shop or the same with [son] Billy.

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"None of those things are on the horizon at the moment so it's adjusting to a new normal but also grateful he's here at all which we didn't have at all last year and feared would never happen."

Over the past 20 months, Kate's main focus has been her husband Derek and their two children. Derek, 54, was first admitted to hospital in March 2020 after he contracted coronavirus. He was then in intensive care for months before leaving hospital one year later and now requires round-the-clock care at home.

kate garraway husband derek draper

Kate's husband Derek spent one year in hospital

Kate, also 54, added: "The dream would be to get Derek to Chorley [with the Draper side of the family]. At the moment, moving him is a big problem: it's exhausting for him. "If not, maybe the Drapers could come to us for a big gathering, COVID permitting. And certainly I'll be seeing the Garraways but my oven is broken so I'm not sure anyone wants to come to me."

Discussing how her relationship with Derek has changed, Kate said: "It's both emotional and physical because your relationship with the person has changed, but also what I've found is that some of things that floor me are when there are moments when Derek is very present and then the next moment he is not.

"You get a strange, overwhelming feeling of loneliness where you suddenly feel the person is lost and you want to grab them, fix them - bring them back."

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