Kate Garraway has opened up on the heartbreaking moment daughter Darcey, 15, asked if she was going to kill herself over Derek's Covid battle.
Kate Garraway has shared the moment her daughter Darcey, 15, asked her whether she was going to kill herself over husband Derek's Covid battle.
The Good Morning Britain host joined Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby on the This Morning sofa to launch her new book The Power of Hope, and in updating viewers on her ongoing challenges faced now husband Derek has returned home to continue his Covid battle, Kate made a heartbreaking revelation that will hit parents everywhere.
Kate, who is mum to daughter Darcey, 15 and son Billy, 11, discussed her children's concerns over whether she was going to be ok which she had included in the book. She confessed, "Darcey actually at one point said, 'Mummy are you going to kill yourself?'"
The revelation even stunned mum-of-three Holly Willougby, who immediately asked, "Oh God and what did you say?"
Kate continued, "That sounds horrific obviously, but if you know Darcey she is really blunt and she will always go to the most awful thing she can imagine and work her way back. And at times that can be 'You're not wearing that are you mum?' Because that's the worst sort of thing she can imagine but she just came out with the sentence and I said, 'My God no, my God no way would you think that' and she said, 'Well I wasn't but I just thought I'd better check.'
"So she could tick it off worst-case scenario", added Holly.
Kate continued to explain what her response to Darcey was, 'I said, 'If anything it's the absolute opposite. I can't imagine what would be more opposite other than wanting. But I'm so scared that you thought of that and she said, 'Oh don't make a big thing of it'. It showed at the very least that she wanted affirmation...'
Phillip said, 'That's the most brutal way of asking 'are you ok?'
Kate added, 'And also maybe she realised that she wasn't just thinking about her dad but maybe of me.'
She also revealed the sweet way her kids are taking care of her - including by watching her favourite shows like BBC detective period TV series Father Brown.
It comes after Kate revealed the 'reassuring way' her kids were making Derek, who is still suffering from long Covid and had lost eight stone in weight, smile again.
When Phil asked how much of Derek she was likely to get back, Kate held back the tears and replied, "I don't know".
She went on to explain how Derek remembers "lots of little details" and "reacts to the things the kids do" and added, "He's smiling and laughing at things. He loves and adores us all and definitely wants to be there...for me I just dreaded that he wouldn't remember us but he definitely knows us, and he's so pleased to be home and we're so glad to have him home."
If you or someone you know is feeling anxious, confused, down, lonely, upset or suicidal? Get in Touch with Samaritans now. Whatever you're going through, you can call them for free from any phone for 24/7 confidential support. Call free on 116 123.
