Kate Garraway was supported by past and present colleagues of Good Morning Britain on Friday as they gathered to pay their respects to Derek Draper, following his death aged 56.
Family and friends gathered at the Church of St Mary the Virgin in Primrose Hill for a service of remembrance followed by his burial.
Ben Shephard and Susanna Reid were amongst the first to arrive followed by Piers Morgan and Charlotte Hawkins.
Fiona Phillips was also seen in public with her ITV exec husband Martin Frizell for the first time since she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
Mr Draper was among the first in the UK to fall seriously ill with Covid-19 and was admitted to an intensive care unit as the country entered lockdown in March 2020.
Susanna Reid was among the mourners at Derek Draper’s funeral on Friday as Kate Garraway was supported by past and present colleagues of Good Morning Britain
Richard Arnold and Charlotte Hawkins were in attendance at the ceremony
Laura Tobin linked arms with Alex Beresford as they headed into the service
Kate Garraway was joined by her two children and loved ones at the ceremony
He was one of the country’s longest-suffering Covid patients after being in hospital but never fully recovered after the virus left long-lasting damage to his organs and meant he needed round-the-clock care.
Derek suffered a heart attack before Christmas and never recovered. Kate revealed Derek died as she held his hand ‘throughout the last long hours and when he passed’ on January 5.
The Good Morning Britain star, 56, announced the death of her husband of 18 years on Instagram and said: ‘Rest gently and peacefully now Derek, my love, I was so lucky to have you in my life.’
Derek suffered a heart attack before Christmas following a long battle with Covid.
Kate, who had two children with Derek, Darcey, 17, and their youngest, Billy, 11, said: ‘I’m sad to have to tell you all that my darling husband Derek has passed away.
‘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.
‘I have so much more to say, and of course I will do so in due course, but for now I just want to thank all the medical teams who fought so hard to save him and to make his final moments as comfortable and dignified as possible’.
She added: ‘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.
‘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.’
Mr Draper was a former researcher for Blairite Peter Mandelson who became a New Labour spin doctor and later retrained as a psychotherapist after a series of political and lobbying scandals.
