Good Morning Britain’s Kate Garraway and actor Larry Lamb opened up about their personal battles with grief and loss today.
As the country gears up for the national Day of Reflection, this conversation highlighted the shared pain and individual stories of those affected by the pandemic.
“We are not equipped for loss. No one is equipped for it,” Kate Garraway stated, sharing her feelings of numbness following the loss of her husband last month.
“I’m only at the first stages and there’s so many different stages of it all,” Kate revealed, touching on the acute challenges faced by those who lost loved ones during the pandemic without the usual support systems or the ability to hold proper funerals.
Larry Lamb, who lost his brother to the virus, shared a poignant memory that underscored the value of final moments spent with loved ones.
Recounting the time spent at his brother Wes’s bedside, Lamb illustrated the deep connection and reconciliation that emerged in their last days together. “We had drifted apart but that got us back together… It was lovely. I was able to be there with him sitting in his bed,” Lamb recalled, highlighting the stark contrast to the isolation experienced by many during the pandemic.
The conversation also touched on the societal challenge of addressing grief. “People don’t know what to say to them,” Kate mentioned, pointing out the awkwardness and discomfort that can surround conversations about loss, especially for children grappling with the death of a parent.
Ben Shephard commented on the vast amount of hearts which have been left on the wall of remembrance and how for Larry and Kate they were lucky enough to have those final moments with their loved ones but for many, Covid made this not possible.
Bereavement counsellor, Claire Collins added: “When you talk about kissing Wesley or when you talk about holding Derek’s hand and smelling his skin.
“So many people didn’t have that experience and they are still suffering and not having funerals. It’s so hard to process what we normally hold during these times and it’s so hard to process what people are still processing and that’s why it’s so important for us to come together to commemorate all the people that died and all the losses that people experienced during Covid.”
Kate concluded: “We are not equipped for loss. No one is equipped for it. Nobody wants to be able to face it but we are all going to come against it at some point in our lives.”
Marie Curie’s Day of Reflection will take place on March 3rd 2024, marking four years after the start of the pandemic.
Good Morning Britain weekdays from 6am on ITV1 & ITVX
