She’s put on a brave face as she prepares for a difficult Christmas with husband Derek Draper still in hospital.
But Kate Garraway embraced the festivities as she donned a Christmas jumper while arriving for work at Smooth Radio on Friday.
The broadcaster, 53, teamed her festive knitwear with sparkling silver boots as she headed for her last day at work at Global Studios before the Christmas break.
Getting into the festive spirit: Kate Garraway embraced the festivities as she donned a Christmas jumper while arriving for work at Smooth Radio on Friday
Kate bundled up against the cool December weather in a long black coat, which she wore with black skinny jeans.
The TV star, who had earlier in the day hosted Good Morning Britain, carried her essentials in two large shopper bags.
Kate waved and flashed a broad smile before covering up in a black face mask, while she left her blonde locks loose for the day.
Her outing comes after she had an emotional conversation with two nurses who saved her husband Derek Draper’s life during Thursday’s Good Morning Britain.
Winter style: The broadcaster, 53, teamed her festive knitwear with sparkling silver boots as she headed for her last day at work at Global Studios before the Christmas break
The presenter had the chance to speak to Kathleen and Karen who work at North London’s Whittington Hospital, after they were invited to perform on the ITV show as part of a hospital choir.
Kate revealed she hadn’t been able to speak to the nurses before after they worked on former lobbyist and political advisor Derek, 53, in the early stages of his COVID-19 battle in March.
She said: ‘You saved his life. I’m going to get emotional, so thank you so much.’
Kathleen and Karen are part of a nationwide hospital choir releasing a cover of The Police hit Every Breath You Take for charity.
Festive look: Kate bundled up against the cool December weather in a long black coat, which she wore with black skinny jeans
Busy bee: The TV star, who had earlier in the day hosted Good Morning Britain, carried her essentials in two large shopper bags
Kate then told GMB viewers and her co-host Ben Shephard:’I actually found out they looked after my husband Derek so I can’t wait to talk to them.’
Later in the show, Kate had her chance, as she told the nurses: ‘It’s so great to talk to you because I didn’t realise you cared for Derek at Whittington when he was first taken in.’
‘You saved his life,’ she told them, adding: ‘I’m going to get emotional, so thank you so much’.
‘I’ve never spoken to you because we weren’t allowed to visit, it was a chaotic time, very often I wasn’t given information from direct carers so thank you so much.’
Kathleen said to Kate in response: ‘I was here the day he was admitted so we just want to wish you all the best from here.’
Thank you: Kate’s outing comes after she had an emotional conversation with two nurses who saved her husband Derek Draper’s life during Thursday’s Good Morning Britain
‘It’s been a difficult time,’ Karen added of their work more recently. ‘I think everybody acknowledges that, we are so much better this time around. Kathleen and I have been training everyone.’
Kate added another thank you as she told the nurses: ‘You’re absolute heroes, you’re saviours for Derek and it’s so wonderful to see your faces personally, let’s hope the single goes to number one.’
The broadcaster returned to GMB on Thursday for her first show in two weeks, and spoke about the possibility of not being able to see Derek, who remains critically ill in hospital
The presenter told Ben Shephard it would be her family’s ‘dream’ to see Derek on the special day, while he continues to recover from COVID-19 in intensive care.
Kate also revealed she was forced to miss two weeks of the show after she and her children suffered a coronavirus scare – but they have since tested negative.
‘You saved his life’: The presenter had the chance to speak to Kathleen and Karen who work at North London’s Whittington Hospital and worked on Derek when he was first admitted
The mother of two said: ‘I’m finding it really challenging and I know you at home are as well. I find it really tricky.’
‘I know it’s a slightly unique position I’m in but it’s also not because lots of people have got loved ones who are vulnerable, who are sick, either with COVID or with other things.
‘Obviously my dream is for the children and I to see Derek on Christmas Day in some way. The challenges of that are we have to stay really safe in order to visit him and isolate.
‘There’s also a question of, if we’re doing that can we have my mum and dad there?’
The star said she wanted to avoid ‘if possible’ having Christmas day with just herself, daughter Darcey, 14, and Billy, 11, adding: ‘I think that would make Derek’s absence feel huge and the rest of the family’s absence feel huge but it’s quite a difficult balance to work it all out.’
Grateful: ‘You saved his life,’ Kate told the nurses, adding: ‘I’m going to get emotional, so thank you so much’
Speaking to Dr Hillary Jones, Ben responded: ‘Hillary, that’s a challenge for people up and down the country. Kate wants to make Christmas as fun and as normal as it can be for Darcey and Bill.’
Kate also revealed she had missed two weeks of GMB as her and her kids were exposed to COVID-19.
Luckily, Kate and her children all tested negative and the star returned to the show on Thursday.
She said: ‘It’s lovely to be back, I’m sorry I’ve been absent for a couple of weeks now.
Heartbreaking: Kate also spoke about the possibility of not being able to see her critically-ill husband at Christmas during an emotional chat on Thursday’s Good Morning Britain
‘Well, a few challenges kicking off, challenges with Derek as there always are.
‘So we had outside of Derek a little bit of a scare. In the sense that, we found out the children had come into contact with somebody who after they came into contact with them, tested positive for coronavirus – isn’t seriously ill.
‘It’s happening a lot because of schools, so just to be ultra, ultra, ultra cautious, kept them at home, kept me at home until we got negative tests.
‘We got two negative tests actually, because you know me, more is more. So all three of us had negative tests, mercifully.’
She continued: ‘I did think, ‘oh my goodness, this is going to be very difficult, obviously horrific if any of us get sick’. And I’ve had it. I had it when Derek got sick.’
Derek was originally admitted to hospital with COVID-19 symptoms on March 30 and remains seriously ill.
Family first: The presenter told Ben Shephard it would be her family’s ‘dream’ to see Derek on the special day, while he continues to recover from COVID-19 in intensive care (pictured with Derek and children Darcey and Billy in December 2019)
Earlier this month, Kate told Ben she ‘is in total panic’ as she and her children are still unable to visit Derek in hospital.
The media personality previously admitted Derek had ‘a tough week,’ as she shared her uncertainty over whether her long-term partner could finally be discharged.
The co-hosts were discussing the possibility of more COVID-19 restrictions over the festive period.
She said that as Derek is still too ill to return home, and her children’s grandparents are unable to visit, she’ll be facing her first Christmas alone since her eldest daughter Darcey was born.
‘I feel physically sick actually and can feel my chest tightening at the thought of it,’ Kate said.
‘I’m in total panic about the idea of me, Darcey and Billy on our own this Christmas unable to visit Derek because of potential restrictions.
‘That huge emotional hole, and I don’t know how to fill it, without grandparents and without friends helping to fill it.
‘It feels like such a significant moment as all festivals are. I do feel in a panic about it, but we’re in this situation because of the spread of a disease that at the moment doesn’t have a cure.’
Last month it was reported that Kate is in a state of uncertainty over whether or not Derek will be discharged from hospital after spending more than 214 days in intensive care with the potentially life-threatening virus.
Tricky: The star said she wanted to avoid ‘if possible’ having Christmas day with just herself, daughter Darcey, 14, and Billy, 11, adding: ‘I think that would make Derek’s absence feel huge’ (pictured December 2019)
Speaking to Closer, weather presenter Clare Nazir – a close friend of the Good Morning Britain host – claims the lack of absolutes regarding her stricken husband’s health is ‘eating her alive.’
She said: ‘Kate is a warrior and she’ll do what she has to do to get through this. This is someone who isn’t fazed by interviewing the Prime Minister or victims of child abuse, because she can relate to everybody and has the mental capacity to cope.
‘She’s incredibly resilient. Some people would’ve crumbled by now, but this is going to make her stronger.’
She added: ‘Her priority is to keep her kids’ lives as normal as possible. The uncertainty eats her alive, but she doesn’t want that to transition to them.’
In October. Kate revealed Derek mouthed the word ‘pain’ – his first word since falling ill – when asked by nurses if he was in any discomfort.
While Kate said it was ‘heartbreaking’ he was suffering, it marked progress in his recovery since being struck down with coronavirus in March.
But Kate is ‘keeping herself in check’ and said: ‘The power of hope is huge but you’re constantly trying to think, at what point do I have to start being real.’