Good Morning Britain's Ben Shephard and Charlotte Hawkins have sent love to co-star Kate Garraway after she stepped away from work while husband Derek Draper remains in hospital. The presenters also thanked fans for their support on Thursday's instalment of the ITV show.
It was reported on Wednesday, July 20 that Kate had pulled out of presenting GMB and Smooth Radio this week to be by Derek's side after he became "seriously unwell".
Derek contracted Covid in March 2020. He was admitted to hospital and later put into an induced coma after the virus 'wreaked havoc' on his body. He is the worst affected living Covid-19 patient in the UK.
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Addressing Kate's absence on Thursday's episode, Ben said: "We are missing a member of the team, aren't we?"
To which Charlotte replied: "We are, yeah. So Kate's not here she's taken some time out to be with Derek at the moment so we are sending lots of love.
"Lots of you have been in touch with messages of support, so we wish him well.'
Ben then addressed viewers, adding: "Thank you for all those messages, we will definitely pass them on, you know how much Kate appreciates all the support that she gets, and fingers crossed Derek will be home as soon as possible."
It comes after a source told The Sun: "Derek has been taken back to hospital this morning in a very serious condition. The family are very worried about him but Derek is in the best hands."
They continued to say that Kate was by his side and is "keeping it together as best she can". They added that, while she is devoted to her work, Kate had "no choice" but to step away from her work commitments as it's an "incredibly difficult time" for her and their family. You can read more on this here.
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