Kate Garraway's brutal year after losing Derek Draper from financial ruin to heartache
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Today marks one year since Kate Garraway said goodbye to her husband, Derek Draper, who was just 56 when he died following an agonising illness. The political lobbyist turned psychotherapist had suffered severe health complications after contracting coronavirus in March 2020. In December 2023, his condition worsened following a cardiac arrest, and he died on January 3, 2024, after slipping into a coma.
Devoted Kate, 57, cared for Derek until the very end, documenting his illness and her grief in a way that has resonated with countless families across the country. As the Good Morning Britain presenter marks the first anniversary of her husband's sad passing, Kate continues to be a strong voice for those living with long Covid, and those dealing with the heartache of caring for gravely ill family members.
Through it all, mum-of-two Kate hasn't shied away from discussing how brutal this first year without Derek has been - from the crushing debts she's had to face, to a "tough" Christmas filled with memories of happier times. Kate has been open about the issues with debt she's faced in the wake of Derek's illness and previously shared that she'd needed to find £16,000 a month for her late husband's around-the-clock treatment. Speaking candidly in her March documentary Kate Garraway: Derek's Story, which followed the final year of Derek's life, Kate confided: "Derek's care costs more than my salary from ITV and that is before you pay for a mortgage, before you pay any household bills, before you pay for anything for the kids, so we are at a crunch point.
