Funeral of Kate Garraway’s ‘darling’ husband Derek Draper held today

Kate Garraway’s husband Derek Draper will be laid to rest at a funeral in London today (2 February).

Garraway, 56, confirmed that her “darling husband” Draper had died from a cardiac arrest, following an agonising, four-year battle with long Covid, on 5 January. He was 56.

Nearly one month later, the Good Morning Britain host gathered for Draper’s funeral at St Mary the Virgin church in Primrose Hill, north west London today.

Garraway’s GMB co-hosts including Ben Shephard and Susanna Reid were both seen arriving at the church on Friday morning.

TalkTV presenter Piers Morgan and Lorraine host Lorraine Kelly are also expected to attend the service.

Speaking on behalf of his friend, Shephard previously said Garraway and her children – Darcey and Billy – were in the “next stages” of grieving for Draper in an update on 11 January.

He told GMB viewers that Garraway was beyond grateful for the outpouring of love and support for her family as they navigated a world without Draper – who she was married to for 18 years.

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The presenter also shared a poignant conversation between Garraway and her 17-year-old daughter Darcey about registering Draper’s death.

“They are in the next stages of working out what happens; there’s a lot of admin to do when you lose someone,” Shephard said. “In that brilliant way yesterday, she said, ‘I have to go out to go and register the death’.

“She told Darcey, ‘I’m going to have to go out the house’, and Darcey said, ‘I know this is going to be really hard but can I make one suggestion?’

“She says, ‘course you can darling’. And then Darcey said, ‘Can you take the Christmas jumper off and can you brush your hair?’” the TV host narrated.

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He added: “[Garraway] said to me the clocks stopped for us just before Christmas when Derek had that heart attack and she’s just starting to come out of that.

“We all know that Kate in the run up to Christmas wears a new Christmas jumper every day, she supports the charity. And suddenly she realises yesterday that everything has been frozen in time since then.

Garraway confirmed she would take a leave of absence from her presenting roles, including on GMB, after Draper’s death.

The presenter, who hosts GMB and her own show on Smooth Radio, plans to return to work in the future, according to the PA news agency.

Garraway announced that Draper, who contracted Covid-19 during the early days of the pandemic, had died after becoming “critically ill” early in December last year.

In a statement shared on Instagram, she wrote:“I’m sad to have to tell you all that my darling husband Derek has passed away,” she wrote. “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.

“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. Sending so much love and thanks to all of you who have so generously given our family so much support.

“Rest gently and peacefully now Derek, my love, I was so lucky to have you in my life,” she wrote.