Kate Garraway hits back at cruel trolls who attacked her for laughing on GMB weeks after death of her husband Derek
KATE Garraway has hit back at cruel trolls who attacked her for laughing during her return to Good Morning Britain yesterday.
The TV host was back at work to present the ITV breakfast show after taking a leave of absence following her husband Derek Draper's death on January 3 aged 56.
However Kate, 56, revealed she received online hate after the programme for laughing alongside co-host Ben Shephard.
During a conversation with actor Larry Lamb and Marie Curie bereavement coordinator Claire Collins, she opened up about getting "flack".
She said: "I got a bit of flack on social media yesterday for laughing with you [Ben], as if that implied I didn't care... I have to laugh!
"But when you laugh you're laughing because you want the joy that person brought to continue.
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"And you know that people watching at home have got troubles in their life and you want to share that joy with them.
"So it's a licence to laugh and to cry and to be all things."
Kate opened up on her experience with grief ahead of the National Day of Reflection.
She continued: "We were talking around this time last year, about the day of reflection and the importance of it and, obviously I'm in a very different place and very aware of the sensations of grief, although also very aware, that actually I'm only at the first stages and there's so many different stages of it all.
"But, particularly aware of how tough it was for those during Covid who didn't have the chance to have a funeral where they could hug loved ones and all of those things, which is why it's so important to have this chance and this moment."
Meanwhile Gavin and Stacey star Larry reflected on the death of his brother in 2019.
It comes after Kate returned to host the ITV breakfast show following an emotional appearance on the programme on Monday.
She discussed how her children have been handling the loss of their father.
Kate said on Thursday that it was "lovely" to be back at the desk but admitted feeling "wobbly".
"The make-up girls had me in tears this morning just by saying hello," Kate said at the beginning of the programme.
"Thank you to all of you at home as well. I know I mentioned it on Monday, but you have been incredible."
Co-host Ben joked he would give Kate a bit of "leeway" before saying she did her husband proud with the "extraordinary funeral".
"You really did Derek proud, it was an extraordinary thing," he said.
Kate said: "I definitely wanted to make it about Derek, not about me.
"It was really lovely as well to feel so much love from everybody here."
In the episode, Ben also thanked viewers for their "lovely messages" and read out one from a fellow widow which said: "Lovely to see you back Kate, with Ben.
You're laughing because you want the joy that person brought to continue.
Kate Garraway
"As a widow myself, I know those wobbly feelings. Thank you for always thinking of others."
The message prompted Kate to say someone calling her a widow for the first time "took her breath away".
She said: "The other day, somebody called me a widow for the first time - it took my breath away.
"It was an Amazon delivery person who said 'I'm so sorry for your loss now that you're a widow' and you suddenly realise, and I suddenly realised, what everyone goes through.
"That every single moment is something new and we've all just got to get through it and everybody has it with all sorts of things they're facing.
"I really get what people feel about these things."
Last week, Kate said goodbye to Derek at his funeral.
His funeral was held on Friday at the Church of St Mary The Virgin in Primrose Hill, north-west London.
It was attended by figures including former prime minister Sir Tony Blair, musician Sir Elton John and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.
Former political lobbyist-turned-psychologist Draper married the GMB presenter at the same church in September 2005.
Draper fell seriously ill during the early part of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020 and spent 13 months in hospital before he was discharged.
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He died on January 3 aged 56 after suffering long-lasting symptoms from coronavirus.
Despite being scheduled to return full-time, ITV have offered their full support to Kate and said she can take time off as and when.
Derek Draper's four-year health battle
- March 30, 2020: Derek is rushed unresponsive to hospital with Covid.
- April 24: He is put into an induced coma.
- June 5: Kate reveals Derek is Covid-free but his body suffered damage.
- July 5: He awakens from a deep coma but remains "minimally conscious".
- September 6: Kate then reveals Derek lost eight stone and cannot speak.
- September 29: Derek becomes the longest-suffering Covid patient after spending 184 days in hospital.
- October 30: Wakes from coma and speaks for the first time in seven months.
- October 31: He is finally taken off ventilator after 214 days in hospital.
- January 7, 2021: Kate reveals kids got to visit Derek at Christmas - the first time since he was hospitalised.
- April 9: Derek returns home after over a year but needs full-time care.
- May 4: He is able to converse more.
- December 22: Pictured in public for the first time at a panto.
- February 21, 2022: Kate says they secretly flew to Mexico for a medical trial.
- July 6: Derek is rushed back to hospital.
- August 1: He is in intensive care with "life-threatening" sepsis.
- June 28, 2023: He sees wife Kate made MBE.
- October 8: Kate reveals Derek is "not doing great" after an infection.
- November 23: In hospital for treatment to help with movement.
- December 11: Taken ill and suffers a heart attack.
- January 3: Derek Draper tragically dies.