Kate Garraway has revealed she has been attacked on social media for “laughing” so soon after her husband’s death.
The presenter returned to host Good Morning Britain on Tuesday following the recent death of her husband Derek Draper.
The former lobbyist sadly died on the 3rd of January aged 56.
The presenter’s husband, who suffered serious health complications after contracting Covid-19 in March, had been critically ill after suffering a cardiac arrest in December.
Kate returned to present the morning show alongside her co-host Ben Shephard.
During a conversation with actor Larry Lamb and Marie Curie bereavement counsellor Claire Collins, Kate opened up about the abuse she had received online.
Larry Lamb and Kate share their experiences of grief, as Larry lost his brother to cancer in 2019.
This comes ahead of the National Day of Reflection, which gives people the chance to remember loved ones lost during the pandemic. pic.twitter.com/vnJgjFKqOZ
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) February 9, 2024
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!”
Kate admitted she has been feeling ‘very numb’ since the loss of her husband and confessed she is only at the first stages of grief.
She said: “We were talking around this time last year, about the day of reflection and the importance of it.”
Kate continued: “And I mean, obviously, I’m in a different place to talk about it now. And I’m very aware of the sensation 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.’
“We are not equipped for loss. No one is equipped for it. Nobody wants to be able to face it but we are all going to come against it at some point in our lives.”
She said: “I’m trying to help my children, one thing they’ve said is that people don’t know what to say to them. They want to help other people to feel comfortable with them. Not to ignore it, but to help..”
Kate added: “Ben wants to know how to support me, so how does he do that?”
Kate opened her return to the show with long-time colleague Ben who told her she had “done Derek proud” during his funeral last week.
Kate thanked him and admitted to feeling “wobbly”, but said: “I definitely wanted to make it about Derek not about me.”
The host thanked viewers for the “incredible” love and support she has received as she returned to presenting the show.
Kate said: “Thank you to all of you at home as well, I know I mentioned it on Monday but you have been incredible.”
Kate also explained: “People ask why I’m going back to work. Life has to start. We have to pick ourselves up and go on.
“That’s what Derek would want me to do. Thank you to everyone who made it possible.”
