New Kate Garraway documentary on Derek Draper shows rare footage of late husband speaking

Derek Draper will speak directly to the camera in a forthcoming documentary that covers the last year of his life.

The former political lobbyist and husband of broadcaster Kate Garraway died in January aged 56, nearly four years after becoming seriously ill with Covid in 2020. Draper spent more than a year in the hospital after his infection and lived with the effects of long Covid for the rest of his life.

Though his illness left Draper with limited speech, the new ITV film Kate Garraway: Derek’s Story will feature rare footage of him voicing his experience.

A scene from the trailer shows Derek in bed with a notepad and pen, while he says: “My name’s Derek Draper, I want you to hear my story.”

Sitting beside him as he lies in bed, The Sun reports Good Morning Britain anchor Garraway, 56 to say: “You’ve written Covid changed everything. Do you mean for you?”

After Draper responds “yes”, the presenter follows up: “Where’s your story going to end?”

When announced earlier this month, Derek’s Story was described as a vehicle for Draper to be able to tell his own story, with Garraway explaining that creating the documentary was his idea.

Garraway said: “Obviously, when we started making this documentary early last year, we had no idea the events that would unfold that ultimately took Derek from us. And in January 2024, I wondered if it was right that it should ever come to air.

“But I didn’t want to let those who have given us so much support over the last four years down, and the carers paid and unpaid who, in their thousands of letters to me, feel Derek’s story has given them a voice.”

Derek’s Story follows two other films, Finding Derek (2021) and Caring for Derek (2022), with this new outing intending to delve further into Draper’s story.

“I remembered so vividly that the idea of making this third documentary at all came from Derek himself,” Garraway said.

Reporting further on the film on Saturday (24 March), a source told The Sun: “Derek really wanted to make this documentary and have his say. It was incredibly brave of him to let cameras into his home.”

The film is also slated to highlight the cost of caring for a loved one in the UK.

Kate Garraway: Derek’s Story airs on ITV1 and ITVX at 9pm on Tuesday 26 March.