Jacqueline Jossa says she ‘doesn’t know how jungle pal Kate Garraway has held it together’ after year from hell
JACQUELINE Jossa has admitted that she doesn’t know how her jungle pal Kate Garraway “held it together” amid her year from hell.
The two stars became close friends when they both took part in the 2019 series of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! – just months before 53-year-old Kate’s life turned upside down.
In March of 2020, her husband Derek Draper was rushed to intensive care with coronavirus, where he remained for over a year as the UK’s longest surviving Covid in-patient.
He was able to return to his family home earlier this month, still receiving around-the-clock care and medical attention.
And Jacqueline, 28, is in awe of Kate’s strength throughout the devastating ordeal – explaining that it has been “horrible” to see her friend struggling in this way.
She shared in a new interview: “It’s just so horrible. Kate is the most loveliest human being you will ever meet in your life. No-one deserves that, and obviously Derek is super lovely as well.”
Jacqueline also met Derek and the couple’s two children, 15-year-old Darcey and 11-year-old Billy, when they flew out to support Kate on the show in Australia.
And the former EastEnders‘ actress said it’s “surreal” how quickly everything changed.
She added to The Mirror: “It’s kind of surreal because I felt like we had just left them.
“It was a weird thing, but she was incredible and I find her really inspiring because she just really kept on going.
“I truly believe her positive vibes and positive thinking really really helped their situation. I don’t know how she held it together. She’s amazing.”
Jacqueline has reached out to Kate privately to offer her support, and said that she got an understanding of how close-knit the family were while in the jungle as “all Kate did was talk about Derek”.
The star added: “She just loved him so much.”
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Although Derek still has a long way to go, Kate revealed during Thursday’s Good Morning Britain that he is making good progress being at home with her and their children.
She said: “It’s a worthy gig. It’s been wonderful having Derek at home and lots of little positives, I think.
“And whether those are positives because it is genuinely helping his cognition being at home, or whether it’s because I’m there to see the little things.
“Whereas I couldn’t go in before and we were on Facetime and stuff. It feels positive, little moments of reaction.”