Kate Garraway's husband Derek Draper might not leave hospital until 2021, suggests GMB presenter

It's been a difficult few months for Kate and her family as husband Derek, from Chorley, continues his recovery in hospital after contracting the virus in March.

Derek has not left hospital since his admission six months ago, with Kate previously revealing that the virus has caused substantial damage to his body.

But a heartbroken Kate, 53, says that she has found some comfort in tending to her garden during Derek's ongoing health battle.

During an appearance on Gardeners’ World, she said her love for her husband had inspired her to plant something special for him to see when he is finally well enough to return to the family's London home.

Garraway hinted that her recent gardening projects had been inspired by Derek's timeline of recovery, suggesting that Derek might be well enough to return home next spring.

She said she has planted a number of bulbs now in hopes that they will flower and that “the place will be full of colour” for Derek’s hopeful return.

The mother-of-two said: "The garden is past present and future in one place. By planting plants and nurturing them to grow gives you hope for future."

She explained: “It was rather sad because the radishes came, they’re one of Derek’s favourites. We ate them and he still wasn’t better."

In late April, she revealed that Derek had been put into an induced coma after his condition deteriorated.

He was brought out of the coma in July, but he has remained in a minimum state of consciousness, and Garraway has previously said Derek has a long road to recovery ahead of him.

She has said it will be a slow process as the virus has "attacked everything", and doctors have warned Kate that Derek might never fully recover from the damage that COVID-19 has done to his body.

Derek, 53, attended Southlands High School in Chorley, where he graduated in 1984, before studying at Runshaw College in Leyland.

The couple have two children, Darcey, 14, and 10-year-old Billy, who have been unable to visit him due to the infection risk.