Lorraine and 'GMB' hosts send love to Kate Garraway as she misses show to be with husband

Watch: GMB presenters send love to Kate Garraway as Derek Draper is hospitalised

Kate Garraway's Good Morning Britain co-presenters and talk show host Lorraine Kelly were among those to send love after her husband Derek Draper returned to hospital.

Draper spent more than a year in hospital after falling ill with the coronavirus, and though he returned home in April last year he now needs round the clock care.

Garraway was absent from her ITV show on Thursday (21 July) amid reports that Draper was back in hospital.

Read more: Kate Garraway 'still hoping for a miracle' for Derek Draper

Her Good Morning Britain co-host Ben Shephard addressed her absence, saying: "We are missing a member of the team, aren’t we?"

Co-presenter Charlotte Hawkins replied: "We are yes. So Kate’s not here. She’s taking some time out to be with Derek at the moment so we’re sending her lots of love.

"Lots of you have been in touch with messages of support, so we wish him well."

Shephard added: "Thank you for those messages, we’ll definitely pass them on.

"You know how much Kate appreciates all the support that she gets.

"And fingers crossed Derek will be home as soon as possible."

Speaking on her ITV show, Kelly also sent her love to Garraway.

"I know a lot of you have seen in the newspapers and online that Derek is back in hospital," she said.

"Obviously, he is dealing with the after-effects of COVID and we just want to send our love to them."

Garraway, 55, and Draper tied the knot in 2005 and have two children together – son Billy, 12, and 16-year-old daughter Darcey.

The TV star kept fans updated on his fight with COVID on social media and also released two documentaries about what he had been through and his progress.

Read more: Kate Garraway reveals FaceTime call with Derek after NTA win

Earlier this year she shared that her husband was still “terribly affected” by his lengthy battle with the illness.

Updating viewers on Good Morning Britain, she said: “Obviously he is still terribly affected by COVID, and undoubtedly it has had an effect on certainly brain connections to his body.”