Kate Garraway’s husband, Derek Draper, has made a huge step forward in his long recovery from Covid-19 as he was taken to the theatre with his family to watch a pantomime.
The 54-year-old former political advisor has been battling to reclaim his life after he was struck down by Covid back in March last year – being placed in an induced coma during treatment at an intensive care unit and remained in hospital until the end of last year.
Kate has bravely discussed the hurdles her husband and their family have faced in his recovery from the virus – and he is still clearly far from how he was before succumbing to the virus.
The 54-year-old Good Morning Britain host, her husband, and their two children – 15-year-old daughter Darcey and 12-year-old son William – enjoyed an afternoon trip to Richmond theatre to watch Cinderella.
The Mail on Sunday have published photographs of the family enjoying their day out – making it the first time Derek has been seen outside since he contracted Covid in March last year.
Heartwarming photos of the family show Derek smiling while being pushed around in a wheelchair while wife Kate also beamed as she enjoyed her husband’s company with a friend.
The Mail on Sunday’s report also says Derek was hugged tightly by his children as they prepared to head home following the performance.
The family watched a panto starring Kate’s former Strictly Come Dancing partner Anton Du Beke – who she danced with on the hit BBC show back in 2007.
Kate, Derek and their family’s happy day out comes after months of worry for the GMB star as she had feared her husband would lose his life to Covid last year.
When he was finally released from hospital in December last year, Kate explained that it had been the best gift she could have asked for.
The Mail quotes her stating: “Last Christmas Eve, we did have a lot of promise and a lot of hope but Derek was in hospital.
“We had no idea whether he was going to live or die, praying that it was going in the right direction.”
While fans will be encouraged to see Derek making progress, the Mail also reports that the former lobbyist continues to experience: “extraordinary problems with communication, mobility is very limited, massive problems with fatigue and sometimes it’s like he’s not present with you.”
Kate recently discussed how her Christmas would play out this year.
She said: "This year, we have got him home - and fingers crossed we can keep him home.
“Of course, he's not going to be putting on his Santa costume going out with Darcey for a father-and-daughter Christmas shop or the same with Billy.
"None of those things are on the horizon at the moment so it's adjusting to a new normal but also grateful he's here at all which we didn't have at all last year and feared would never happen."
