Kate Garraway has spoken out about the criticism she still faces for smiling on Good Morning Britain, nearly two years after her husband Derek Draper died. The 59-year-old presenter returned to the ITV studios on Friday, October 9, to front the breakfast show alongside Ranvir Singh.
During a later segment, Kate and Ranvir discussed Prince Harry's recent revelations about his mental wellbeing in a fresh interview, with regular contributors Salma Shah and Caroline Flint also taking part.
Prince Harry on grief and resilience
Prince Harry spoke about his mother Princess Diana's death during a chat with neuroscientist Dr. Mary-Frances O'Connor. "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," he said.
In the studio, the presenters discussed their own experiences of bereavement. Ranvir said, "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 online backlash
Kate then responded to the backlash she has encountered since Derek Draper's passing in 2024. Derek's death came after a prolonged fight with health issues that arose when he caught COVID-19 in March 2020.
During Friday's GMB, Kate explained: "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 offered comfort to her colleague by extending her arm. Caroline then reflected on the public outpouring of grief when Diana died in 1997, and on Prince Harry and his brother walking behind the funeral procession as young boys.
In another part of his interview, Prince Harry revealed: "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.
