ITV viewers were treated to a surprising and light-hearted moment during Thursday’s episode of Good Morning Britain, as Kate Garraway cheekily revealed that her mother is still holding out hope that she and her co-host, Richard Madeley, might become more than just colleagues. 
While catching up on the latest entertainment gossip with showbiz correspondent Richard Arnold, the conversation turned to Elton John being named Time’s 2024 Icon of the Year. Richard asked if anyone had ever seen Elton perform live, to which both Kate and Richard Madeley excitedly replied that they had – in fact, they went together.
Arnold joked, “We went to the Royal Opera House and we were papped! Back then, people actually believed we were a couple.” Kate quickly responded with a laugh: “My mum is still hoping! She’s still hoping – and so is yours, be honest!” Her quip caused laughter throughout the studio.
Richard then teased, “That must’ve been 20 years ago, when you and I first started ‘dating’?” Kate laughed in agreement but clarified that she had seen Elton again more recently – this time with her late husband, Derek Draper.
What truly stunned viewers was Richard’s next confession: he had first seen Elton John in concert all the way back in 1974. Gasps were heard off-camera as Kate exclaimed: “You’ve topped it all!”
Richard described the experience in glowing terms: “I’ve never been to a concert like it before or since. ’74 – he was at the absolute top of his game, just amazing.” Kate echoed his admiration, calling the 77-year-old music icon a true “legend.”
Last year, Elton invited Kate, Derek, and their two children, Darcey and Billy, to be his guests of honour at his Farewell tour in London. During the performance, he dedicated the song Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me to Derek and his long battle with illness, a moment that brought the whole family to tears.
In an emotional interview with Smooth Radio, Kate shared that she wasn’t sure they would even make it to the concert due to Derek’s fragile health. “Right up to the last minute, I wasn’t sure if it would be possible to get Derek there. It took weeks of planning, and just days before, it looked like he would be too sick to attend.”
She revealed that Derek appeared very weak on the way to the venue, but everything changed when Elton took the stage. Derek squeezed her hand and began to cry, refusing to wear his ear defenders because he wanted to hear the music clearly.
As the show went on, Derek began to shake, overwhelmed by the experience. Nurses took him outside to help him calm down. “After a while, I asked him if it was time to go and he said, ‘No… want to go back,’” Kate said. They gave him ear defenders to reduce the sensory input and wheeled him back in so he could finish the concert.
Sadly, Derek Draper passed away earlier this year after a long and courageous battle with complications from long Covid. Among the many well-known faces who attended his funeral in April was none other than Elton John himself, paying his final respects to the couple he once honoured on stage.
📰 Source: https://www.mirror.co.uk
