Kate Garraway has hit back at social media critics who suggested she got over her husband Derek Draper's death too quickly, as she returned to host ITV's Good Morning Britain on Friday (October 9).
The 59-year-old presenter was joined by Ranvir Singh to deliver the latest headlines from across the UK and around the world. Later in the show, the hosts discussed Prince Harry with regular commentators Salma Shah and Caroline Flint, after the Duke of Sussex opened up about his mental health in a new interview.
Prince Harry's comments on grief
In the interview, Prince Harry spoke with neuroscientist Dr. Mary-Frances O'Connor about his mother, Princess Diana's, death. He said: "I couldn't remember my mum's laugh, couldn't remember what she looked like. I felt like I had to be sad in order to prove to her that I missed her. I'd spent so long emotionally numb, to a large extent, because nobody told me joy was still allowed."
Back in the studio, Ranvir reflected on her own loss, saying: "I think that is something that I remember when my dad died when I was nine. You know, you remember the very first time you laugh out loud [and] you stop because you think you're not supposed to, or you say, 'Oh, [I'm just in dad's room. Oh, well, dad's not [here].' You know, all those natural things that a person does."
Kate's response to critics
Kate then addressed the criticism she has faced following the death of Derek Draper in 2024, which followed a severe, multi-year battle with health complications triggered after he contracted COVID-19 in March 2020. She said: "I still get it now if we're larking around on the programme. People sort of on social media say, 'Oh, it didn't take her long to get over her husband dying,' as though you can't smile again. And actually, what you're trying to do is smile again, that's what you think, like [Harry's] mum, your [gestures to Ranvir] dad, and people that you've lost want you to do."
Ranvir supported her co-star by reaching out her arm. Caroline then said: "Thinking back to, you know, 1997 when Diana died and then the funeral and everything else, I mean, for those who weren't part of that, there was such an outpouring, wasn't there, of sadness and grief by the nation. I mean, it was incredible... And there were these boys, his brother as well, you know, in the middle of that. And then of course, the fact that they're part of the funeral procession, him and his brother side by side walking behind, with all the people in the crowd.
Prince Harry's resilience
"I think that's a lot, and I think, at the end of the day, he was a little boy. And therefore, having that on your shoulders to think, 'I can't laugh, I can't do things as a child,' I think again [it's] really powerful what he said."
Elsewhere in his interview, Prince Harry shared: "It took me a long time to find my path to resilience. I didn't cry when I was told my mum died, only at her burial, and then not again for nearly two decades. I was convinced that was strength, but it wasn't. I was a 12-year-old boy with no permission to fall apart and no road map for how to heal."
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV1 and ITVX at 6am.
