Tributes pour in for Derek Draper as Kate Garraway announces husband’s death

Derek Draper, the husband of TV presenter Kate Garraway, has sadly died, aged 56.

The Good Morning Britain host has been caring for Draper ever since he contracted Covid in March 2020 . His death follows a heart attack in December 2023.

Mr Draper broke down in tears when he received the card, in a resurfaced clip from an ITV documentary detailing his battle with Covid, back in February 2022.

The ITV documentary showed the family celebrating Mr Draper’s 54th birthday after being discharged from hospital.

Mr Draper has died at the age of 56 following his long Covid battle.

My friend Mitch says that most obituaries aren’t so much as “the person that I knew” as “the person that knew me”. This is especially true about writing about my experiences with Derek Draper, as although he was a man who made a tremendous impression on my life, and we spent a lot of pretty intense time together, I didn’t know him personally at all – he was my psychotherapist.

About 20 years ago, having suffered from depression for a long time, I decided to finally go into therapy. “It’s talking to someone who cares, but isn’t involved,” explained a friend who’d been, and that is a perfect description. My first experience of therapy was with an organisation who trained therapists, and it was a great one. After an initial wariness, I didn’t have much hesitation in opening up; after all, what do you get from the experience if you hold things back?

Kate Garraway will be absent from her roles on ITV and Smooth Radio following the death of her husband, Derek Draper, on Friday.

Soon after Derek Draper’s death was announced on Friday, following a years-long battle with long Covid, colleagues of his wife Kate Garraway expressed their condolences online.

Susanna Reid and Charlotte Hawkins led messages of support to their fellow Good Morning Britain host.

Hawkins described the news as “absolutely heartbreaking” and sent “much love” to Garraway. In a post on Instagram, Hawkins also asked others to send Garraway “love and prayers” at this time.

Jenny Eclair has shared a message of support for Kate Garraway after husband Derek Draper’s death, nearly four years after contracting Covid.

“What a warrior Kate Garraway has been throughout the trauma of her husband’s illness, this has been such a tragedy and she has been extraordinary,” she wrote on X/Twitter on Saturday (6 January).

TV economist and frequent Good Morning Britain contributor Martin Lewis shared his condolences on social media on Friday, in which he sent love to Kate Garraway.

“I’m sad to hear of Derek Draper passing,” his post on X/Twitter began.

“We had a few dinners out together with Kate and Derek and he was also a great big, warm, fun man. That’s how he should be remembered – he would’ve liked the attention 🙂 Wishing Kate and the family love and ease through the pain.

“I hope they are left to grieve in peace & privacy, and the end of this tragic chapter lets them move on and recover the joy in their lives.”