Kate Garraway reveals husband Derek Draper is in 'terrible state' after Covid infection

The former political adviser, 54, was in hospital for thirteen months and placed in a coma but he was reunited with Garraway and their children, Darcey and Billy, several months ago at their family home.

Speaking on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories, Garraway - who will be Piers Morgan’s replacement on the show - takes the hot seat for a tell-all interview before taking over the role.

The Good Morning Britain’s host reveals the extent of her husband’s illness and she says he is still unable to communicate after Covid-19 caused brain inflammation.

Garraway says the “inflammation passed through” his brain making him one of the worst affected living Covid patients in the UK - The Mirror reported.

In the interview, which airs on Sunday at 8pm on ITV, she says: “It’s devastated him.

“From the top of his head to the tip of his toe. His digestive system, his liver, his kidneys, his heart, his nervous system. We’re pretty sure that the inflammation did pass through the brain.

“He still can’t communicate, he still has issues with mobility. Fundamentally, he’s in a terrible state. Look, he’s alive, Piers.”

Piers then reveals he had a conversation with Derek the night before the interview. He said: “We had a moment last night when I rang you about this interview. Without warning, you said to me, ‘Why don’t we talk to Derek?’ and Derek replied when you said it was me, very loud, clear, ‘Hello’.”

“And I said a few things to him and at the end he said, ‘Thank you’. I was stunned.”

Kate calls it a “remarkable moment” that left her just as shocked.

She replies: “Well, so were we. The carers that were with me at the time burst into tears.

“I mean, I don’t want to suggest you’re a healer Piers but it was a remarkable moment. It’s moments like that that make you realise that is in there.

“And we’ve had others – he will turn to me and say, ‘I love you’.”

“He is there! He’s fought so hard to stay in this world and I’m not giving up on him ever. He will have moments of clarity and it’s like he disappears again.”

The presenter previously made an ITV documentary Finding Derek about her husband’s illness and the impact on their family.

It featured Garraway speaking to people suffering long Covid, NHS staff and other experts and one scene saw her recall being told by Draper’s doctors he was the most seriously ill person they had seen who remained alive.