The Daily Telegraph - Saturday
Garraway’s ‘darling’ husband dies aged 56
Good Morning Britain presenter pays tribute to Derek Draper after death from Covid complications
KATE GARRAWAY has paid tribute to her “darling husband” Derek Draper who died aged 56, nearly four years after contracting coronavirus.
Former prime ministers and celebrity friends came together to offer their condolences to the Good Morning Britain presenter after she confirmed the news of Mr Draper’s death yesterday.
The former political adviser was said to be one of the UK’s longest-suffering Covid patients, spending 13 months in hospital after testing positive in 2020.
The virus left him with extensive damage to his organs and requiring daily care. His health deteriorated after suffering a cardiac arrest last month.
In a post on Instagram yesterday morning, Ms Garraway wrote: “I’m sad to have to tell you all that my darling husband Derek has passed away.
“As some of you may know he has been critically ill following a cardiac arrest in early December which, because of the damage inflicted by Covid in March 2020, led to further complications.”
She added: “Derek was surrounded by his family in his final days and I was by his side holding his hand throughout the last long hours and when he passed.”
Ms Garraway went on to thank the medical teams who treated her husband and to all those who had supported her family.
She added: “Rest gently and peacefully now Derek, my love, I was so lucky to have you in my life.”
A prominent figure in New Labour in the 1990s, Mr Draper worked for Blairite Peter Mandelson and set up the Progress organisation with Liam Byrne, who went on to become an MP.
However, he went on to retrain as a psychotherapist in the United States after becoming embroiled in the “cash-for-access” scandal, dubbed “lobbygate”.
Ms Garraway’s fellow ITV host Lorraine Kelly was among the first to send a message of support.
In the comments of Garraway’s post on Instagram, Ms Kelly wrote: “So sorry Kate. You fought so hard. Just incredibly sad.
Sending you love”.
Sir Elton John also commented, writing: “So sorry to hear this news, Kate. Love and thoughts to you and your family x.”
Former political colleagues or Mr Draper’s also paid tribute including Sir Tony Blair, who described him as a “brilliant adviser” and a “tough, sometimes ruthless political operative”. Writing on Twitter, Sir Tony added: “It is extraordinary and remarkable that Derek survived so long after the ravages of Covid, and that was in large measure due to the love Derek had for his family and they for him. This also says something very special about Derek.”
Another former prime minister, Gordon Brown, wrote: “I will remember him as brilliant, creative and multitalented, and our thoughts are with Kate, Darcey and Billy. RIP Derek.” Alastair Campbell, the former Labour spin doctor, also paid tribute, writing: “Very sad to hear the news about Derek Draper. He was a huge character, a giver not a taker, and had so much more to give before Covid took its toll.
“Sad above all for @kategarraway and the children. Their love and support was profound and unshakeable to the end.”
Mr Draper was was placed into a medically induced coma in April 2020 afterg his first admission into hospital.
He woke from the coma in July of that year, but did not speak until October.
Ms Garraway revealed that the first word her husband spoke to her was “pain”. He did not leave hospital until April 2021 and then required daily care at home.
Ms Garraway shared updates of her husband’s condition and the family’s efforts to care for him throughout his
‘That Derek survived so long after the ravages of Covid... was in large measure due to the love Derek had for his family and they for him’
stages of recovery and readmissions. Earlier this year she confronted Matt Hancock, the former health secretary, over his handling of the pandemic on
Good Morning Britain.
Describing public anger towards him, Ms Garraway said: “You still don’t get why people are upset. They want to hold you to more account.”
In 2021 Ms Garraway won a prize at the National Television Awards for the documentary Finding Derek, about her family’s experience during the pandemic. It detailed her husband’s treatment and his subsequent return to their family home.
During a period out of hospital, he accompanied his wife when she collected an MBE in the 2022 New Year Honours for her services to broadcasting, journalism and charity.
The Garraways were married in 2005 and have two children together.