In December 2023, it was announced that Kate Garraway’s husband, Derek Draper, had suffered a serious heart attack. At the time, the couple was in Mexico where Draper was undergoing treatment for his health issues.
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Since 2020, Draper had been in and out of hospital after he contracted Covid-19. Garraway had shared a lot of the journey in two ITV documentaries Finding Derek and Caring For Derek.
The news of his passing at the very beginning of 2024 came as a shock. Garraway announced it on social media and a little bit later she sent a video message to Good Morning Britain.
Kate Garraway spotted out for the first time
Daily Mail reports that Kate Garraway was meeting a friend in North London over the weekend on 27 January.
This is the first time Garraway has been seen in public since the announcement of her husband’s death. Daily Mail also shares that Derek Draper’s funeral should be taking place on Friday 2 February.
Before this sighting, an anonymous source believed to be close to the presenter told The Sun:
It's been an incredibly emotional few weeks for the whole family.
Adding on:
As anyone who has lost a family member will testify, funeral arrangements are extremely time consuming and painful. But the day itself will be a joyous celebration of a wonderful man.
Daily Mail also shares what Clare Nasir, a friend of Garraway, told Closer:
She's devastated, she's broken. She's going from moments of real reflectiveness to moments where she's just crying because she's been fighting for the right for Derek to live for four years now.
Nasir also revealed that friends were ‘on a rota’ to be at Garraway’s side as she deals with these difficult times.
Where has Kate Garraway been since Derek’s death?
Since her husband passed away, Garraway has, as would be expected, been keeping to herself. As the anonymous source told The Sun, Garraway has only had one priority, her children.
Kate and Derek's two children, Darcey and Billy, have, of course, been hit extremely hard, and Kate has been stoically trying to hold things together for their sake. She has been an absolute rock.
Moreover, beside the video message, Kate Garraway has made no further comment on the situation. In the video she did say that she was looking forward to being back at work but so far, this isn’t her priority.
Read more:
⋙ As Kate Garraway is rumoured to be in financial trouble, what's next for the presenter?
⋙ Kate Garraway forced herself to do this when her husband was in a coma: 'I searched his last...'
⋙ Piers Morgan: The TV presenter's touching tribute to Kate Garraway after her husband's passing
Sources:
Daily Mail: Grieving Kate Garraway puts on a brave face to meet a friend as she is seen for first time since husband Derek Draper's death
