Coronavirus: GMB’s Kate Garraway ‘playing music’ to help critically ill husband in coma

‘They [the hospital] are offering families the chance to speak to their loved ones who can’t respond because they’re in comas,’ says co-host Charlotte Hawkins

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Good Morning Britain presenter Kate Garraway has been playing music to help her critically ill husband who has Covid-19, Ben Shepherd has said.

Ms Garraway’s husband, Derek Draper, has been seriously ill with the virus for weeks and is currently in a coma.

Mr Shepherd said the 52-year-old had also been talking to her husband, delivering messages of support.

Speaking on Friday morning’s show, Shepherd read out an Instagram update from his colleague before revealing that she had been able to visit her husband.

“She also wanted to share that she’s been able to speak to Derek in the evenings...” he said.

“We had some guests on last week and I think a lot of hospitals are doing this, they are offering families the chance to speak to their loved ones who can’t respond because they’re in comas.

“But she’s been able to share music with him, to talk to him and just support him.”

GMB co-host Charlotte Hawkins added: “It’s so important, normally you’d be able to be there by your loved one’s side.

“It’s so hard for families not being able to be there, not being able to see their loved ones.”

Shepherd also revealed that Garraway had been reading out messages of support from the public to her husband.

He added: “The thing she wanted to pass on to everyone, that she’s been able to pass on the messages that you’ve sent to her from Derek as well.

“So he’s getting a sense of the support and positivity from all of you.

“As Kate said last week, she can’t respond to everyone as much as she wishes she’d love to be able to.

“But in quieter moments, when she does get ten minutes, she does scroll through them, and the emotional support she’s getting from everybody is really helping.”

Mr Draper was taken to intensive care earlier this month after contracting the novel virus.

Garraway married Draper, a former political aide to then-Labour cabinet minister Peter Mandelson, in 2005 and they have two children together.