Kate Garraway has come under fire from Good Morning Britain viewers after making what many called a “disrespectful and insensitive” joke — moments after reporting the tragic death of a British woman from rabies.
On Thursday’s show, Kate and co-host Adil Ray were discussing the heartbreaking story of Yvonne Ford, a 59-year-old grandmother from Barnsley, who died from rabies weeks after being scratched by a stray dog in Morocco.
Kate recounted the timeline of events before suddenly joking: “If I can do my Dr Hilary for a moment,” mimicking the show’s resident medical expert. She went on to advise viewers to seek treatment immediately after any scratches from animals abroad.
However, the sudden shift in tone caught viewers off guard. Social media lit up with outrage as fans labelled the comment “classless” and “unbelievable.” One user wrote, “I had to rewind to make sure I’d heard that right!” while another accused ITV of making a pattern of tasteless behaviour after Lorraine Kelly’s “cold” tribute to the late Kim Woodburn just a day earlier.
The backlash comes during a tough time for Kate, who is still facing financial difficulties following the death of her husband, Derek Draper, in early 2024. She recently revealed she was locked out of her bank accounts after switching phones and has been struggling to access funds — all while managing debts reported to be between £500,000 and £800,000 due to Derek’s care costs.
