Ashley Cain begs Kate Garraway for help as he faces tough challenge in memory of late daughter
Kate Garraway has promised Ashley Cain that she will join him to take part in his latest extreme sports challenge in tribute to his late daughter, baby Azaylia.
Ex-footballer Ashley and his former partner Safiyya Vorajee suffered the devastating loss of their eight-month-old daughter to leukaemia in 2021, and now Ashley is planning to start his latest fundraising challenge on the anniversary of her passing, April 24.
He has taken on a number of extreme fitness challenges in aid of childhood cancer research since losing Azaylia, and for his next gruelling experience, Ashley asked Kate to join him.
On Friday's Good Morning Britain, Ashley told how he was about to begin an Ultraman Challenge which will see him travel between Land's End and John O'Groats three times with a 900-mile run, a 925-mile cycle and a 950-mile kayak across the sea.
But he put Kate on the spot by asking her to take part in the challenge with him - and she promised that she would join him, although she added that she wasn't sure "for how far".
Talking about the challenge, Ashley said: "I got back from the Yukon, I was down my daughter's resting place on her birthday and I thought I want to show her how much I love her, I want to do something no one else in the world has ever been able to do."
Kate appeared to lead herself into the challenging commitment as she said: "As someone who professionally sits down, I would have thought the kayaking would be the easiest part because you're sitting down."
But Ashley told her: "Having a little paddle down the lake would be a bit different to 950 miles in the sea."
Co-host Adil Ray then asked him: "I heard you want people to join you, there's one person in particular you want to join you," as he pointed at Kate, and Ashley agreed: "I had a special person in mind, I was thinking Kate looks like she would be incredible in a kayak."
TV star Kate laughed as she asked: "Are you taking the mickey? You don't want me to join you in the kayak I wouldn't help matters."
But Ashley explained that he wanted as many people as possible to join him during his challenge in aid of children's cancer charities and Kate confirmed: "I will join you. I'm not sure for how far or where, but I promise you I will."
Kate has been no stranger to raising awareness over difficult personal issues herself as she recently aired her third documentary about late husband Derek Draper's experiences of the devastating effects of Covid, the first to air since his death.
In January, Ashley's son Aliyas was born and he told the GMB hosts how emotional it was to become a dad again, saying: "He's absolutely golden. If I'm going to be honest it's so magnificent to be able to hold him, but it's painful as well because of the loss of Azaylia.
"Love never comes without pain. Sometimes the pain is what makes the love so magnificent and beautiful in the first place. He's so incredible to be able to come back to after these long days and give my complete attention and love to."
