Kate Garraway praises GMB’s Ben Shephard for ‘trying to do everything he can to help’ during Derek’s coronavirus battle
KATE Garraway has praised her Good Morning Britain co-star Ben Shephard for being "phenomenal" during her husband Derek Draper's coronavirus battle.
The Good Morning Britain host, 53, says Ben has been "trying to do everything he can to help" while Derek who remains seriously ill in hospital.
"For 20 years, Ben's had to do so much for me but this year's been another level," she told the .
"He's been trying to do everything he can to help – it's been a huge pressure on him.
"Working alongside somebody you're worried about, plus also trying to do the job… it's a huge thing. I'm aware how tough it's been for him."
Ben also praised Kate for her incredible strength during Derek's battle.
";Her eternal positivity is something we can all look at," he said.
"There's not a moment where that admiration tarnishes."
Just two weeks ago, Kate revealed she feels "physically sick" about the prospect of Christmas without her husband.
She told her GMB co-star Ben she was dreading being at home with children Darcey, 14, and Billy, 11, without support from family and friends.
She said: "I feel physically sick actually. I can feel my chest tightening at the thought of it, and the total panic at Darcy, Bill and myself on our own at Christmas unable to visit Derek because of restrictions, and that huge emotional hole.
"I don't know how to fill it, without friends and grandparents to fill it. It feels like such a significant moment."
Ben said he would be round "in a heartbeat", but if current guidelines continue through to December 25 it won't be a possibility.
It came as they discussed whether or not allowing households to mix over the festive period was a wise move.
Health chiefs are hoping to unite the UK under a common rule that enables households to mix indoors for a limited period.
Derek remains in intensive care following his coronavirus battle which began in March.
In October, Kate told The Sun that Derek had mouthed the word "pain" - his first word after 214 days in intensive care.
And two weeks ago she explained exactly how the coronavirus vaccine works on the body as a mass roll out edges closer.
GMB shared the latest update on the pandemic after scientists claimed the Pfizer vaccine is 95 per cent effective.
Kate explained how a vaccine would safely teach our bodies to fight Covid-19 by stopping us catching the virus or making it less deadly.
She said: "Scientists take the part of the virus's genetic code with the distinctive spike protein. They then put this into a fat droplet that is injected into the patient.
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"The code triggers the immune cells in the patient's body to make the spike protein. So, the immune system then reacts to the presence of the spike protein, by making antibodies which then go on to block the virus and the T cells which destroy infected cells.
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"If the real virus appears in a body then these antibodies and T cells will fight it."
She added: "Complicated but also fascinating and it looks like a strong hope".