Kate Garraway feels "very awkward" about being awarded an MBE.
Kate Garraway feels 'awkward' and 'incredibly honoured' about her MBE
As well as being "thrilled to bits and incredibly honoured", the 'Good Morning Britain' presenter - who also cares for her husband Derek Draper, as he continues to battle the after effects of coronavirus - is still in disbelief that she was recognised on the New Year's Honours List.
Speaking on 'GMB', she said: "It's strange isn't it, because I actually feel very awkward about it all really. I don't know why because I'm thrilled to bits and incredibly honoured, but you just sort of think, 'What, me?' is the first thing you think, isn't it, and then you think it's not real.
"So what happens - in my experience anyway - is you get a letter saying you've been put forward for an honour, don't know what, would you accept it if you did? Derek's had a bit of time going in and out of hospital recently, so I was actually with him at the time and his sister-in-law was in charge of opening letters that looked official - mainly bills, and she opened it and said, 'Gosh I shouldn't have opened this, this is really exciting you should have opened this yourself,' and I said, 'Oh for God's sake, we need to say yes to whatever it is,' and then you hear nothing.
"Then there was something in the papers a couple of weeks before Christmas and I thought, 'Well I haven't heard,' and then on the 30th I got a letter. On the outside it said it was from Buckingham Palace and it said to Kathryn Draper Garraway on the outside. It also said MBE and I thought, 'Well, they're not going to get it wrong, it must be that', and inside they just say, 'Congratulations, very pleased to hear, really thrilled that you've got this honour,' so I thought it must be true.
"But I still didn't quite believe it until on New Year's Eve, people started - I think it was announced with the New Year's Honours List - people started to say congratulations. But it's a strange feeling because it's things that other people get."
Kate managed to take Derek - who is still receives 24/7 care at home - to a pantomime over the festive period, but she admitted he is feeling "phenomenally fatigued at the moment" after the trip with her and their two children, Darcey, 15, and 12-year-old Billy.
She added: "He's doing alright. He's phenomenally fatigued at the moment. Very fatigued and very weak and actually after the trip to the pantomime.
"He was then not out of bed afterwards, but he thought it was worth it and I know he did too because it's a special thing to be sitting there with the children, holding their hands doing something normal.
"But it took everything out of him and we don't quite know what the year is going to bring."
Tagged in Kate Garraway