Kate Garraway was blown away today when she confronted the former health minister Matt Hancock about his handling of the pandemic and his decision to move forward I’m a celebrity…Get me out of here.
Her husband Derek Draper, 55, was fighting for his life after being contracted coronavirus in March 2020. He became the UK’s longest-suffering coronavirus patient, having spent 13 months in hospital, and is still very ill.
His broadcaster’s wife, 55, blinked back tears as she told Mr Hancock that millions of Britons still feel ‘very raw’ about the pandemic and repeated lockdown, stating: ‘At that point it mattered that I didn’t put Derek in hospital could visit, he could not see his children. Thousands of other people couldn’t see the people they loved because they followed the guidelines. The rules were very confused for us here’.
Mr Hancock was finally forced to resign in June 2021 when he was caught flouting his own social distancing guidelines by kissing Gina Coladangelo – whom he hired with taxpayer money.
Describing the public anger towards him, Kate added on his decision to appear on I’m a Celebrity: “This gives the impression that you still don’t understand why they are angry. You still don’t understand why people are angry. They want to appeal to you more’. Mr. Hancock replied, “I understand all that. Really and truly. I really feel it’.
He defended his affair, saying, “I’m only human. We all have our weaknesses and I fell in love,” adding, “But that’s no excuse and that’s why I’ve been open about it. That’s why I asked for forgiveness’. He repeatedly denied breaking the law.
Kate Garraway breaks down in tears as she grilled Matt Hancock on GMB today about the pandemic
Ms Garraway said Mr Hancock gave the impression that he didn’t understand why people are so angry with him
She confronted the former minister and told him: ‘The rules were very confused for us here’
Mr Hancock was on Good Morning Britain this morning.
Mrs. Garraway asked him if he understood the anger people felt towards him, especially those separated by loved ones who were in hospital.
She then got crying and looked up talking about Derek, who has been unwell for almost three years.
“I suppose the problem is that you were the health minister. Thousands of children couldn’t see the people they loved,” she said of the NHS visitation restrictions that have been under his leadership for so long.
Mr Hancock previously insisted he wasn’t going to I’m A Celebrity for the money, insisting the 3% of his £320,000 he donated to charity was substantial.
Susanna Reid asked him, “Are you telling the truth when you say that?” [money] wasn’t your main motivation?’
The former health minister replied, “Absolutely. I did give some of the money to charity.
“I didn’t do it (going on the reality show) primarily for the money, I did it mainly to show who I am.”
Mr Hancock insisted his donation of £10,000 was a ‘decent amount’ and was ‘more than my MP’s salary’.
He did admit that “of course there was a discussion and negotiation about the fee.”
Kate was very angry on behalf of all the families struggling to be with sick loved ones
Mr Hancock insisted he understood why people were upset about his breach of the rules and affair
Derek is one of the UK’s longest-suffering Covid patients after being hospitalized with the virus in March 2020, only returning to the family’s London home in April 2021, where he receives 24-hour care
Kate Garraway clashed with Labor frontbencher Emily Thornberry today over her husband Derek Draper’s treatment at a private hospital during his fraught battle with coronavirus
Mr Hancock confirmed he was still receiving his MP salary while in the jungle, but said his donations exceeded that amount, which is around £7,000 a month.
The West Suffolk MP, who lost the Tory whip over the performance, did admit that ‘of course there was discussion and negotiation over the fee’.
But he insisted he ‘definitely would have considered’ doing the program for £10 and denied negotiations took off after he turned down initial offers.
On the show, Mr. Hancock placed third behind actor Owen Warner and English professional footballer Jill Scott.
Records in the MPs’ register of interests showed that Mr Hancock was paid £320,000 by Lifted Entertainment, ITV Studios, for the work he said would take 30 days.
Mr Hancock’s performance, I’m a Celebrity…, was criticized by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and other Tories, as well as derided by some fellow MPs.
More than 1,000 complaints were made to broadcasting watchdog Ofcom about his participation.
Earlier this month Kate Garraway clashed with Labor frontbencher Emily Thornberry today over her husband Derek Draper’s treatment at a private hospital during his fraught battle with coronavirus.
The Good morning Great Britain presenter challenged the Shadow Attorney General about Sir Keith Starmer‘s radical plan to tackle the huge backlog by outsourcing to private hospitals.
Asked if the policy amounted to privatisation, Ms Thornberry said emphatically: ‘It is not. If you wait six months to get your hip replaced and there aren’t enough beds in a National Health Service hospital and there are few beds in a private hospital, we say the NHS will pay for the excess capacity in the private hospitals to to get the waiting list down. It’s just completely pragmatic politics.’
In response, Ms Garraway said: ‘I know from personal experience because when Derek was first ill and he had to be taken to hospital, there were no places in any ward for him to get the treatment he needed. So basically everything was nationalized at that time.
“But after a while the private hospitals said they couldn’t afford it and that’s why it came to an end, it returned. And so that seemed like a sensible path to us.”
Mrs. Garraway then asked, “What’s the argument against that?” – and got an icy silence from the Labor frontbencher, before continuing: ‘I would have said the argument against that was that people with private insurance wouldn’t be able to jump in line.
“If you’re going to pay some people to go to private hospitals, what about doing it for everyone?”
Mrs. Thornberry then replied, “My priority is the National Health Service.”
Last month, an emotional Ms Garraway broke down when she discussed husband Derek’s health struggles.
The Good Morning host admitted there is “no end point” to his worry and that her new way of living can be “exhausting” for those around her.
Derek is one of the UK’s longest-suffering Covid patients after being hospitalized with the virus in March 2020, only returning to the family’s London home in April 2021, where he receives 24-hour care .
She told host Lorraine Kelly, “The thing is, when it’s a long battle, like with Derek, there’s no end point and it can be exhausting for those around me, too.” I know sometimes people say ‘oh that’s what she’s talking about again’ but what I’ve learned is that you don’t really know what it feels like until you’re in it.
“And now I’m being contacted by thousands and thousands of people, which makes me feel less alone.”