Kate Garraway's Good Morning Britain co-stars have explained her absence after she sparked concern by not appearing on the programme. The presenter is usually seen at the helm of the ITV news programme on a Thursday and Friday and will be working with a range of co-hosts following Ben Shephard's exit last month.
However, Kate, who tragically lost her husband Derek Draper two months ago, also started her usual 10am to 1pm slot on Smooth Radio earlier this week, kicking off by playing songs by Ed Sheeran and Paul Young.
But after about half an hour, Kate's co-star Tina Hobley took over the show. Tina told listeners that Kate had been "sent home" because her voice had "completely gone".
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She then didn't show for her Thursday (March 7) radio show and Tina filled in for her again. The radio's Instagram page put up a Story of Tina in the studio saying: "Keeping the records spinning for @kategarraway this morning @smoothradio."
Now, Charlotte Hawkins, who took over from Kate on GMB on Friday (March 8), addressed Kate going missing on GMB, saying: "She would be here today but she's lost her voice. She's all well but she can't speak."
To which Adil joked: "She's lost her voice, she's been too influential in the past year." Charlotte added: "I know, she obviously has been hasn't she." Adil then added: "Be less influential Kate and get better soon."
Kate returned to work on GMB and Smooth Radio last month after her husband Derek passed away in January, aged 56. She announced on January 5 that Derek had sadly passed away, almost four years after Covid "wreaked havoc" on his body, leaving him needing around-the-clock care when he eventually returned home after more than a year in hospital.
Derek then fell seriously ill before Christmas after suffering a cardiac arrest. He died on January 3 aged 56 with Kate explaining in her statement that "the damage inflicted by Covid in March 2020, led to further complications."
But following Derek's funeral, Kate decided to return to work on GMB, and she previously said of her decision: "A new life starts now. I don’t quite know how it’s going to be, but grief isn’t containable is it? Some people say, ‘Why [are] you going back to work?’ Well, everybody does have to, don’t they?
"Life has to start any minute now. 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."
