A Good Morning Britain guest opened up about her mum’s heartbreaking death on Thursday
Sara Baalla Screen Time TV Reporter
08:16, 18 Dec 2025Updated 08:36, 18 Dec 2025
Good Morning Britain star Kate Garraway has supported a guest after their mum’s “sudden” death.
During Thursday’s (December 18) edition of the hit ITV programme, Kate and her co-host Richard Madeley updated viewers on the latest news from across the UK and around the world.
Alex Beresford was also in the studio to present regular weather updates, while Ranvir Singh handled the rest of the day’s news.
Later in the show, Kate and Richard spoke to Genieva Owens, whose mum sadly passed away from kidney failure earlier this year. Genieva was also diagnosed with kidney disease at the age of eleven.
This comes as Black people are being urged to get tested for a gene that could lead to kidney failure. A new campaign is calling for people of Caribbean or African heritage to get tested for the APOL1 gene, which 1 in 10 people are thought to carry.
Kate Garraway supported a grieving guest on Thursday’s GMB(Image: ITV)READ MORE: ITV Good Morning Britain stars share ‘devastating’ news after teen’s tragic deathREAD MORE: Good Morning Britain star’s exit explained as he says ‘onwards and upwards’
Those with the gene are far more likely to develop chronic kidney disease, which could result in death.
During today’s interview, Kate offered Genieva comfort just two months after her mum’s death, saying: “Oh, I’m so sorry about your mum. It’s so soon after that you must feel incredibly raw.”
The guest then explained: “We weren’t aware of the [gene] at all. It was just sudden. When I got diagnosed with the kidney failure when I was eleven, my mum was just shocked. But we did see signs of the kidney failure when I was about nine, ten years old.
“We only found out about this gene about two years ago… I never knew.”
Genieva found out about the gene during a research study at King’s College Hospital. She shared: “[The doctors] said they wanted to find out why I got kidney failure. They were doing this research. When they found out that I have this gene, they also tested my mum and she had it too.”
Genieva Owens lost her mum to kidney failure two months ago(Image: ITV)
She went on: “It’s got to the point for me that it’s at the end part. I’m waiting for a transplant now. I wish I knew and I wish my mum knew, that would have saved her life.”
“I’m so sorry… It’s so unlucky isn’t it,” Kate then said.
As she waits for a new kidney, Genieva currently has to have dialysis three times a week, which takes four hours each time. “If I don’t have it, I wouldn’t be here today,” she said.
On why she wants to raise more awareness of the gene, the guest added: “It would definitely help. They wouldn’t go through the horrible things I’ve had to go through, especially with my mum.”
Kate concluded: “Thank you so much for coming in and talking to us about this. We wish you well with the grief of losing your mum. It’s such an important message that you’ve got out to people today.”
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV1 and ITVX at 6am
More information about kidney disease is available on the NHS website