Kate Garraway has spoke of the "raw" grief she faced ahead her first Christmas without her husband, Derek Draper.
The broadcaster's other half passed away on January 5 at the age of 56, following a prolonged battle with severe health complications after contracting Covid.
Nearly a year later, the 57-year-old has spoken candidly about navigating the "early stages" of her "raw" grief.
During a pre-recorded Christmas Day segment on Good Morning Britain, the presenter admitted she was bracing herself for a challenging holiday season without her husband.
She told co-host Susanna Reid: "It's very raw Susanna to be honest. It's very raw.
"I mean this time last year, Derek was still alive - very sick. We thought it was the toughest Christmas because weirdly in 2020 we had a lot of hope that he was coming out... I think that I am [still] in the early stages of grief...
"The pain and the feeling is still there."
On Tuesday's Good Morning Britain, Garraway also admitted this Christmas would be "particularly hard" following Draper's passing for her and their their two children Darcey, 18, and Billy, 15,
Reflecting on last year, she shared that Draper, whom she was married to for nearly 20 years, was "very ill" in intensive care, and while she feared it might be a "grim one," her children remained "very hopeful."
She recalled: "We were going into him in intensive care. Inside my head I did fear, this is a grim one. The children, they were hopeful and he had many times.
"It's a tough one this year and anyone experiencing grief, it does hit you, when you feel something which is full of tradition, where you have memories, it comes back.
"I'm thinking about everybody else that's feeling it."
Draper was believed to be the UK's longest-suffering Coronavirus patient after contracting the virus in March 2020, during the early days of the pandemic.
He spent 13 months in hospital after falling into a coma and being placed on a ventilator. Even after returning home, he faced ongoing health complications caused by the virus, including brain inflammation, kidney failure, and damage to his liver and pancreas.
In the months leading up to his passing, Draper suffered from several heart issues, including a massive heart attack just one month before his death.
The festive edition of Good Morning Britain will be hosted by Reid, Garraway, and Ed Balls. Special guests will include Pride of Britain best friends Jacob Newson and Florrie Bark, who will share a heartwarming reunion.
Viewers can also look forward to musical performances from the cast of The Lion King, as well as Michael Ball and Alfie Boe.