Good Morning Britain host Adil Ray has opened up about colleague Kate Garraway – and how he aspires to be like her.
Adil, who sometimes presents alongside regular Kate, told he’s in awe of her “amazing willpower” as she soldiers on as her husband remains in the hospital.
Doctors admitted Derek Draper into intensive care in early April with coronavirus, before placing him in a coma.
He’s since emerged from that coma and is currently in a Prolonged Disorder of Consciousness, meaning he’s generally unresponsive.
In July, Kate made the decision to return to our screens and to her GMB hosting role, bringing with her her customary charm and dignity.
Adil told OK! magazine : “She’s had such a difficult past 12 months and it’s been so tough for her. But being with her in the studio during this time really is inspiring.
“We’ve all gone through our own personal issues, but you look at Kate and think, ‘Well, I’ll keep doing what she’s doing!’
“She can dust herself down, look fantastic, get in front of the cameras and be utterly brilliant when we know what she’s going through in life. She inspires so many.”
Adil attributes Kate’s resilience to her “amazing willpower”, which I’m A Celebrity viewers got a brief glimpse of when she took part in 2019.
(Image: ITV)
(Image: Mirrorpix)
“I’m absolutely sure that when she goes home it must be tough and she must have moments of complete despair,” he added.
“But life has to go on and she has to move forward or she’s being defeatist. I think coming into work and doing her TV show is really helpful. It’s a real privilege to be around her.”
While Derek is now free from the deadly bug, major complications have left his body “ravaged.”
(Image: PA)
(Image: PA)
She’s penned a new book, The Power of Hope, in which she charts Derek’s battle with the virus.
“It’s been a strange time,” she recently said on GMB.
“I’ve been a bit low since Christmas, physically low. Physically at the end of my tether and I have had to regroup a bit.”
She continued: “Derek is still ravaged by the effects of having Covid way back in March, and his recovery is incredibly uncertain.
“I’m trying to look for new things and ways, and I’m talking to doctors about what we can do for him.”
*Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV.