Kate Garraway reveals husband Derek’s life-threatening illness & says her ‘fingers are crossed’ as he fights in hospital

KATE Garraway has revealed her husband Derek Draper was rushed into intensive care after contracting "life-threatening" sepsis.

The worried TV star said her "fingers are crossed" as he fights for recovery in hospital.

Kate, who has been missing from Good Morning Britain since July 9 to be by his bedside, said: "Derek came out of hospital three weeks ago and we hadn't had any medical eruptions.

"Then we were on air and I got a phone call from the person looking after him saying 'we are really worried'. He was just really unwell.

"I whizzed home and it just went 'boom' from there.

"We called an ambulance, he went to A&E and they said he had very severe, life-threatening sepsis. It was really dramatic."

Kate, 55, said that medics were working quickly to find the source of infection and find the right antibiotics to treat it.

"By process of elimination and questions, a really junior doctor asked me what I thought it might be," she said.

"He knew it wasn't Covid because we tested before, but I said I wondered if it was a urine infection but weirdly we couldn't get anything for a sample.

"They just went, 'kidneys'. Unfortunately his kidneys were really badly infected, blocked, and the challenge now is to save them.

"So that's where we've been for the last three weeks."

Derek remains in hospital awaiting a further procedure, but he is no longer in ICU.

"The sepsis is under control. One kidney is looking really good, just need to look at the other one," Kate, who was comforted by co-host Richard Madeley, said.

"He's still in high dependency, but [I have my] fingers crossed for everything.

"We're back on the right side of it now."

Kate went on to thank the public for their messages of support and praised doctors for keeping him alive.

"It's lovely to be back and thank you for all your good wishes as always, it means everything," she said.

"Brilliant work from A&;E, absolutely extraordinary."

He's still in high dependency, but [I have my] fingers crossed for everything.

Kate Garraway

Derek, 54, has suffered devastating health problems after contracting Covid at the start of the pandemic in 2020.

Kate has tirelessly juggled caring for him while working her TV and radio jobs, as well as raising their two children, Darcey, 16, and Billy, 12.

Speaking to The Sun previously, Kate said she tried to keep a smile on her face despite the hardships they faced.

Kate said: "I'm really tired but I take it day by day to level out the ups and downs."

She also said at a London awards show: "I try to embrace life, especially the kids as we’ve had two and a half years of it.

"Their lives have changed and they need to do things."