Kate Garraway has revealed the terrifying moment she was rushed to hospital with fears she was suffering a heart attack – all while she was caring for her gravely ill husband Derek Draper.
The 58-year-old presenter shared that it happened back in November 2022, when she was pushing through severe stress and exhaustion. “I could barely move,” she recalled. “I threw up on the way to work and collapsed at the studio. Dr Hilary told producers to get me emergency medical help.”
Kate described the chest pain as “searing” and said doctors believed she was having a heart attack. She was wired to machines as medics tried to determine the extent of her condition. The outcome was not a heart attack, but a “heart event” brought on by overwhelming stress from being Derek’s full-time carer.
She also admitted that her autoimmune thyroid condition had worsened significantly and that she had been warned surgery might be required. Despite these health struggles, she continued working and caring for Derek until his death in January 2024.
Kate heartbreakingly recalled waking in the night thinking she had forgotten to give Derek his medication. She added that she was with him at the very end, holding his hand as he told their children, “Look after mum.”
