Kate Garraway has revealed she's still in the early stages of "coming out of grief" following the tragic death of her husband, Derek Draper.
Derek, a political lobbyist and psychotherapist who was married to the The Good Morning Britain presenter for 19 years, sadly passed away in January this year due to long Covid complications, aged 56.
Kate, who has two children with her late husband, Darcey, 17, and William, 14, told Closer's Katie Banks that Derek passed away so recently that it's "just one step at a time" at present.
Speaking at the ASA Foundation's ball, Kate said: "I'm just at that early stage at the moment of coming out of grief. I'm just barely holding it together."
She continued: "I haven't actually been out that much, so it's nice to come out tonight, although it is a school night. I'm on telly tomorrow - so I won't be able to stay out late!"
Kate's heartbreaking journey taking care of Derek during his long fight against the condition was shown in an award-winning documentary series, Kate Garraway: Derek’s Story.
He became ill in 2020 during the early days of the pandemic and would require 24-hour care as he battled long Covid, with Kate tragically revealing she held his hand as he passed away four years later on Friday, January 5.
Kate, who has presented morning TV for more than 25 years, recently admitted that she was struggling to get to grips with the debts from Derek's healthcare bill.
She was forced to seek financial help in May after being left with a £716,000 tax bill from her late husband's firm and then called in specialists to help her with a new set of fees after the company closed.
However, she said she's "very much celebrating life now" and "can't believe" that she's "hurtling towards 60", although she doesn't know if she'll "do a party".
Kate, who now wants to raise awareness for autoimmune conditions, said: "There are so many people within care charities who are doing such fantastic work too.
"After the various situations I went through with Derek, I feel like I'll be a care champion forever. It's definitely something I'd love to get more involved with."
