Derek Draper, the husband of TV presenter Kate Garraway has passed away at the age of 56 after his battle with long COVID.
It was reported that prior to Christmas the Good Morning Britain host, 56, was preparing their children for a heartbreaking Christmas after Derek suffered a heart attack.
Kate Garraway had cancelled her work commitments following the incident to hold a 24/7 vigil alongside her husband.
But who is Kate Garraway’s husband Derek Draper and what did he do for a living?
The husband of tv presenter, Kate Garraway has passed away at the age of 56 after an arduous battle with long covid (pictured in 2019)
But who was Derek Draper? MailOnline take a look into the life of the former political adviser and psychologist (Pictured: Mr Draper in 1998)
Who was Kate Garraway’s late husband Derek Draper?
Derek Draper was born in Chorley, Lancashire on August 15, 1967.
He attended Runshaw College, Leyland before pursuing further education at the University of Manchester.
During his political career as a lobbyist and a political advisor, he was also a researcher for Labour minister Peter Mandelson.
Mr Draper became a director of lobbying firm GPC Market Access in 1996 and set up the New Labour organisation Progress with Liam Byrne, who went on to become an MP.
Derek originally hailed from Chorley, Lancashire. He later pursued a career in politics, as a political advisor and lobbyist
Derek later spent three years pursuing a career in psychotherapy, and training to be a psychotherapist in California.
Towards the tail end of the 90s, he was also dabbled in the world of print journalism, working as the political editor of the Modern Review.
He was also a columnist for the Daily Express for a short time, and later a host on Talk Radio UK.
In 2009, he founded his own blog, the LabourList, but later stepped away from his position as editor-in-chief following a scandal regarding leaked emails.
Leaked correspondence between Derek and Damian McBride -Gordon Brown’s special adviser – showcased McBride suggesting Derek use the platform to smear Conservative politicians and their partners, according to The Sun.
On August 23, 2019, Derek decided to withdraw his Labour membership after 25 years.
Kate’s husband was also an accomplished author, penning books such as Life Support and Blair’s 100 Days.
How did Kate Garraway and Derek Draper meet?
Kate and Derek were introduced to one another in 2004 by the political editor of GMTV Gloria De Piero (Pictured: Kate and Derek at the National Television Awards in 2007)
The couple tied the knot in Camden, London in 2005. They were planning a second wedding 15 years into their marriage, however this was unfortunately put on hold due to Mr Draper’s health struggles
Derek supported his wife when she was awarded an MBE for her services to journalism in June last year (pictured in June with Kate’s parents Gordon and Marilyn after his wife collected her MBE)
The former editor and Kate Garraway initially met in 2004 after being introduced by Gloria De Piero, the political editor of GMTV at the time.
Garraway was previously married to Meridian boss Ian Rumsey, but divorced him two years prior to meeting Derek.
The couple tied the knot a year later in Camden, London, and were due to renew their vows 15 years into their marriage.
Unfortunately, due to Mr Draper’s arduous battle with COVID-19 their wedding plans were put on pause.
In an interview 2020 with Fabulous, Kate said: ‘We’d planned the wedding for the end of summer, but I don’t suppose we’ll be booking anything now because we don’t really know what we can do.’
Who are Derek Draper’s children?
The couple share two children, Darcey, 14 and William, 10 (family pictured in 2019)
The Good Morning Britain host shared that she felt she was not ‘equipped’ to raise her children through teenagehood without her husband (family pictured in 2018)
The couple share two children, Darcey and William.
The pair welcomed their eldest child, Darcey into the world on March 10, 2006.
Over three years later, Kate gave birth to their son William, who is lovingly nicknamed Billy, on July 28, 2009.
Darcey and William were 14 and 10 years of age when Derek first contracted COVID-19.
In an interview with The Times in September 2023, Kate shared that she worried about her children during her husband’s health struggle.
Looking back on their lives, Kate said confessed she is not ‘equipped’ for raising their teenage children without her husband.
‘My instinct is always keep everything good, keep everything nice, but he was always fine with stand-up rows.
‘He said it was all about boundary-setting, so I always felt he was going to be amazing in their teens.
Derek returned home from hospital after 13 months but he never fully recovered (pictured with his family in their garden)
‘So I feel, like, “Derek, of all the times, I am not equipped for this without you.” And it makes me miss the old Derek so much.’
Kate appeared on Heart Breakfast that same month alongside Amanda Holden and Jamie Theakston, and discussed her husband’s health problems and the effects on the family as a whole.
‘We still don’t know, just how much better Derek can get, or worse. So really every time he has a rush into hospital, we’re still in that adrenaline phase of “is this the moment where he could be taken from us”.’
‘But also, there’s so many spikes of progression, that no one’s giving up hope that there isn’t going to be a movement forward, so it’s managing that rollercoaster. Sorry that wasn’t particularly clear.’
