Kate Garraway faced financial difficulties due to the high cost of caring for her husband Derek Draper before his death aged 56.
The presenter announced the death of her husband of 18 years on Instagram on Friday morning, saying: “Rest softly and peacefully now Derek my love, I was so lucky to have you in my life.”
Derek suffered a heart attack before Christmas after a long battle with Covid.
Kate tended to her husband Derek's every need while juggling her television work and her radio show.
A source close to Kate, who works with her at ITV, told The Sun: “Kate has been through hell and back – and because of her career it has all played out in the public eye.”
The presenter announced the death of her 18-year-old husband on Instagram on Friday morning
Kate Garraway faced financial difficulties due to the high cost of caring for her husband Derek Draper before his death aged 56
The presenter announced the death of her husband of 18 years on Instagram this morning, saying: “Rest softly and peacefully now Derek my love, I was so lucky to have you in my life.”
“The strength of character and courage she has shown is simply indescribable.”
“She came to work every day after three hours of restless sleep, smiling and sitting with makeup on, her heartbreaking, tear-stained face covered in studio makeup. “It was truly remarkable.”
Months before his death, in March, Kate also opened up about the financial impact of Derek's illness – Kate was left with a £716,000 tax bill when she was forced to close his business.
Kate told The Sun at the time: “Obviously it's been difficult financially.” As anyone who has a seriously ill loved one knows, the costs add up in many ways. You have to make changes to your home and this affects your ability to work. “I had to take a long period of time off work when Derek was first sick and that obviously affects the family's overall income as he can no longer work.”
Friends have said heartbroken Kate is “bearing up” the death of her husband Derek – as ITV told the star she can have “as much free time as she needs”.
A friend of Kate told the Mail: “She's doing well, taking it and being strong for her children.”
Kate, who had two children with Derek, Darcey, 17, and her youngest, Billy, 11, said in her emotional Instagram post: “I'm sad to say to you all that my beloved husband Derek has passed away.”
“Derek was surrounded by his family in his final days and I was by his side and holding his hand in his final hours and when he died.”
Derek Draper in 2021 with his wife Kate and children Darcey and Billy after returning home from hospital where he was Britain's longest-suffering Covid patient. He died at the age of 56
At the start of the pandemic in March 2020, Derek was diagnosed with coronavirus and was in a life-threatening condition
Kate revealed she held her husband's hand as he died
“I have so much more to say, and of course I will in due course, but for now I just want to thank all the medical teams who fought so hard to save him and make his final moments as comfortable and dignified as possible to create “possible”.
She added: “As some of you may know, he was seriously ill following a cardiac arrest in early December, which led to further complications due to the damage caused by Covid in March 2020.”
“Sending you all so much love and thanks for being so generous and so supportive of our family. “Rest softly and peacefully now, Derek, my love, I have been so lucky to have you in my life.”
Mr Draper was a former researcher for Blairite Peter Mandelson who became a New Labor spin doctor and later retrained as a psychotherapist after a series of political and lobbying scandals.
Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer will write privately to Ms Garraway on behalf of the Labor Party, the PA news agency reports
Tragically, Mr Draper was among the first in the UK to become seriously ill with Covid-19 and was admitted to intensive care when the country went into lockdown in March 2020.
After a hospital stay, he was one of the country's longest-suffering Covid patients, but never fully recovered as the virus caused lasting damage to his organs and he required around-the-clock care.
Former Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown led the tributes today. Mr Brown tweeted: “It's so sad that Derek Draper has lost his life to Covid after such a brave fight. “I will remember him as brilliant, creative and multi-talented and our thoughts are with Kate, Darcey and Billy . RIP Derek'.
He suffered a massive heart attack last month and Web understands he died in a north London hospital on Wednesday evening. Kate said he died surrounded by his family and his death caused several friends and former colleagues to collapse on live television as the sad news broke.
Derek, 56, who has suffered health problems since contracting Covid in 2020, is said to be in a critical condition (pictured in June with Kate's parents Gordon and Marilyn after his wife picked up her MBE).
Derek and Kate on their wedding day in 2005 as they exchanged vows
Sir Tony Blair said: “I am so sad to hear the news about Derek.” My condolences go out to Kate and her children William and Darcey.
of Covid. And that was thanks in large part to the love Derek had for his family and they had for him. That also says something very special about Derek.
“He was a tough, sometimes ruthless political operative, a brilliant adviser and someone you always wanted on your side.”
“But behind that tough exterior, he was a loving, kind, generous and good-natured man who you wanted as a friend.”
“He was an important part of New Labor history and was front and center right from the start. But above all, he was a good colleague and great friend. And we will miss him very much.'
Alastair Campbell, a prominent New Labor colleague in the 1990s, described Derek Draper as “a huge personality”.
The former No 10 communications director tweeted: “Very sad to hear the news about Derek Draper. “He was a great character, a giver not a taker and he had a lot more to give before Covid took its toll.
“Sad especially for @kategarraway and the children.” Their love and support was profound and unwavering until the end. REST IN PEACE'.
Derek Draper was sacked after the 1998 lobbying scandal that rocked New Labour
Speaking to Times Radio, Speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle said Derek's death was a “complete tragedy”.
He added: “We saw how Kate and the children looked after and supported Derek and (people) must be impressed that Kate was so involved.”
“The fact that she had a great career herself, but in what she did, she put Derek first and the kids supported him all the way through.” “My heart goes out to her.”
He concluded: “I will remember him for his controversy, his liveliness and his humor that always shined through.”
Derek has been plagued by health problems since contracting Covid in 2020 and suffered a cardiac arrest in early December while Kate spent Christmas in hospital. Ms Garraway and Mr Draper married in 2005 and have two children, Darcey and Billy.
In an interview with The Times in September 2023, Kate shared that she was worried about her children during her husband's health struggles.
Looking back on her life, Kate confessed that she was unable to raise her teenage children without her husband.
“My instinct is to always keep everything good, keep everything nice, but he was always okay with stand-up rows,” she said. “He said it was all about setting boundaries, so I always had a feeling he would be great as a teenager.”
“So I feel like, 'Derek, I'm not ready for this without you of all people.' And it makes me miss the old Derek so much.'
Derek, 56, came home from hospital after 13 months but never fully recovered (pictured with his family in the garden)
Kate Garraway spent Christmas in hospital after Derek was left fighting for his life due to a heart attack. She was spotted shopping last week wearing a Santa hat and announced his death today
In 2022, Kate had to make the difficult decision to close her husband's company after it accumulated debts of almost £200,000 as a result of his Covid illness.
Derek's once-successful psychotherapy business, Astra Aspera Ltd, owed £184,000 – including £125,000 in taxes. A liquidator was appointed to divide the company's assets.
Kate has also spoken out about the financial strain of funding Derek's care, telling The Sun last year that “the costs have gone through the roof in many ways”.
She added that her home had to be adapted to Derek's needs and that her work life had been affected by her husband's illness.
Lorraine Kelly is among those who have sent messages of support to Kate Garraway after she revealed her husband Derek Draper died as a result of long-lasting coronavirus symptoms.
In the comments to Garraway's announcement post on Instagram, Kelly wrote to her ITV presenter: “I'm so sorry Kate. “You fought so hard. Just incredibly sad. I'm sending you love.
Radio presenter Zoe Ball said she was “heartbroken” for Garraway and her children.
She added: “So much love comes from so many. May Derek's star always shine brightest for you xxxx'
Derek and Kate on their wedding day in 2005 as they exchanged their vows
Singer and presenter Peter Andre said he was “sorry” to hear the news, adding: “We're all sending our loved ones our thoughts with you all.”
Comedian Alan Carr also expressed his condolences to the TV presenter, saying: “Oh Kate, this is so terrible. 'I'm sending you so much love and my deepest condolences.'
Eamonn Holmes, co-host of Kate's Good Morning Britain and GMTV, said in a comment on her Instagram post: “Thinking of you and the kids, Kate.” He was many things, including too young. Sad times. With deepest condolences Eamonn.'
Other tributes poured in from artists including Paul Hollywood, Steps star Ian “H” Watkins, Girls Aloud's Kimberley Walsh, TV presenter Kate Thornton and The Prince's Trust.
Mr Draper, a prominent New Labor figure in the 1990s, worked for Blairite Peter Mandelson and co-founded Progress with Liam Byrne, who later became an MP.
After he was involved in the so-called “Cash for Access” scandal, also known as “Lobbygate”, he traveled to the USA, where he retrained as a psychotherapist.
In 2021, Ms Garraway won an award at the National Television Awards for the documentary Finding Derek, about her family's experiences during the pandemic.
It detailed her husband's treatment and his subsequent return to her family home.
Derek was seriously ill in hospital after being one of the first people to contract Covid
She has also written books about her experiences caring for her husband, including “The Power of Hope” and “The Strength of Love,” the latter of which was published in September.
In July 2022, Garraway confirmed that Mr Draper had been readmitted to hospital, and later that month it was reported that his condition had worsened.
His battle against the virus attracted widespread attention and support, including from former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the royal family.
Former lobbyist and political adviser Mr Draper was part of one of Britain's most prominent media power couples.
The New Labor spin doctor gained great influence in the 1990s, but was best known for his involvement in the “Lobbygate” scandal.
After leaving Mandelson's team, Mr Draper became a director of the lobbying firm GPC Market Access in 1996 and co-founded the New Labor organization Progress with Liam Byrne, who later became an MP.
While working at GPC, Mr Draper was caught on tape bragging about his government connections to an undercover journalist.
In one of the first sleaze scandals to hit Tony Blair's young government, he reportedly claimed: “There are 17 people in this government and to say I am familiar with them all is the understatement of the century.”
He returned home to be with his family but became seriously ill last month and died this week
Mr Draper insisted he had done nothing wrong in the so-called “Cash for Access” scandal, dubbed “Lobbygate”, but admitted he had a “big mouth”.
The incident seemed to spell the end of any major political ambitions for the famously champagne-drinking New Labor supporter, and he traveled to the United States, where he trained as a psychotherapist.
In 2005, Mr Draper married Ms Garraway, the GMTV co-presenter who is now part of the Good Morning Britain team on ITV and appeared on Strictly Come Dancing and I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here in 2007. occurred. in November 2019.
In 2008 he returned to the Labor spotlight as head of the website LabourList, a left-wing competitor to online portals such as Conservative Home.
In 2009, he hit the headlines again and resigned as editor of LabourList after email correspondence between him and Damian McBride, one of Gordon Brown's key aides, was leaked.
In the emails, Mr. McBride proposed a campaign of baseless personal smears against senior conservatives on a new blog called RedRag, an idea that Mr. Draper praised as “absolutely, absolutely brilliant.”
In a resignation statement released to the Guardian, Mr Draper acknowledged that his continued presence on LabourList – which was originally set up to discuss serious political ideas – was detrimental to the site.
“I regret ever receiving the infamous email and I regret my stupid, hasty response.” “I should have said straight away that the idea was wrong,” he said.
“I ask people to remember that the content was never published by me or anyone else affiliated with the Labor Party and would never have seen the light of day had someone not hacked my emails and sent them to them would have made it available to the public.” Domain.
“This turned a silly idea that ultimately ended up in the trash can into a national scandal.”
Kate previously described Derek as one of the sickest patients doctors had treated with Covid-19. Pictured: The couple in 2008
Sent back into the Labor wilderness, Mr Draper became managing director of a leadership consultancy that compiled weekly emails summarizing the best content for business and HR leaders.
In 2019 he announced that he was resigning his membership of the Labor Party.
However, he remained in touch with his old political friends and attended Lord Mandelson's wedding to Ms Reinaldo in October.
Mandelson said in a tribute: “Derek was a truly remarkable and special person and Reinaldo and I were so happy that despite everything he went through, he came to our wedding at the end of October and lit up the room as always.”
“He showed talent in everything he did and had he not been so tragically affected by Covid I could have imagined he would have gone on to have another brilliant career.”
“He adored his family, Kate, Darcey and Billy, and they, like all of us, adored him too.”
Mr Draper's medical case attracted significant media attention, partly because of his marriage to Ms Garraway and partly because of the length of his hospital stay.
Some media reported that after 13 months in the hospital, he had become the country's longest-suffering patient.
Just over a year after contracting Covid, Mr Draper was able to leave hospital and return to his family home in north London 24 hours a day
In early July 2022, Ms Garraway revealed that Derek had been re-admitted to hospital and later that month quit presenting Good Morning Britain as his condition worsened.
The following February, the ITV series Kate Garraway: Caring for Derek aired on ITV. She documented Draper's arrival from hospital and followed Garraway as she navigated the “numerous challenges of the social care system and its complexities.”
Mr Draper was photographed alongside his wife in June as she accepted her MBE from the Prince of Wales at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle, despite being in and out of hospital.
He was also pictured shaking hands with the former First Secretary of State at Lord Mandelson's wedding in October.
In December, The Sun reported that Mr Draper had “suffered a massive heart attack” and that Garraway was keeping a round-the-clock vigil at his bedside.