Kate Garraway responded to critics on Friday's Good Morning Britain, saying people who have lost loved ones want you to smile again. The presenter was back in the ITV studio alongside Ranvir Singh to deliver the latest headlines.
During the programme, Kate and Ranvir spoke about Prince Harry with regular contributors Salma Shah and Caroline Flint. The discussion followed the Duke of Sussex's candid remarks about his mental wellbeing in a fresh interview.
Prince Harry's remarks on grief
Harry spoke about his mother Princess Diana's death during a conversation 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 shared their own experiences of bereavement. Ranvir recalled, "I think that is something that I remember when my dad died when I was nine."
Kate's response to criticism
Kate then responded to the criticism she's encountered following the death of her husband, Derek Draper, in 2024. Derek's passing came after a severe, multi-year battle with health complications, which stemmed from contracting 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 support to her colleague by extending her arm.
Caroline Flint's reflection
Caroline then remarked: "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. 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."
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.
