Kate Garraway's friends rally around 'broken' GMB star following husband's death amid vile online abuse

Katie Hopkins' 'cruel' comments haven't helped 'devastated' broadcaster
Tina Campbell17 January 2024
The Weekender

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One of Kate Garraway's friends has revealed how the Good Morning Britain presenter's nearest and dearest have been doing their utmost to support her during her "grief and absolute sadness" following husband Derek Draper's death.

Former spin doctor Mr Draper passed away in hospital aged 56 on January 5, almost four years after he first fell seriously ill with Covid.

He was plagued with health woes after contracting the virus in 2020, and suffered a cardiac arrest in early December. 

Garraway, who was married to the former Labour spin doctor for 18 years and shared two children with him, supported him throughout and was there until the very end, holding his hand.

Since his death, the broadcaster's friends have been taking turns to be with her, one of whom is Clare Nasir. She told Closer magazine: "She's devastated, she's broken. She's going from moments of real reflectiveness to moments where she's just crying.

Derek Draper (left) pictured with Kate Garraway (right), died on January 5
PA Wire

"She's been fighting for the right for Derek to live for four years now. It was a heck of a long journey for her and she was with him until he died. She didn't give up the fight until the very last moment," she continued.

Ms Nasir went on to share how she and Garraway's friends have set up a rota to make sure that she and her children receive the support that they need. "She's exhausted. When I was with her she'd had very little sleep. She'd been at Derek's bedside night and day while trying to care for her family," she added to the publication.

"What do you do? What do you say? There's no light for her at the moment, just grief and absolute sadness. The other weekend there was a lot of making tea and cooking. We managed to play a couple of little games with the kids to add a little light. Kate waxed and waned it's just so sad to see, she's just broken."

Kate Garraway: Caring for Derek

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Uploading a video to Instagram, the former Apprentice star can be seen gleefully swigging red wine while claiming to followers that ITV was screening a Life After Derek' TV special that night and that Garraway had rushed out a book to discuss Derek’s tragic passing. Neither the TV documentary nor book exists.

The accompanying caption read: "Important @ITV documentary tonight. #KateGarraway. #LifeAfterDerek allegedly sponsored by Fizzzzzzzeeerr" in reference to the vaccine company Pfizer, even though Draper caught Covid before the vaccine was invented.

"Accompanying book available wherever you get your 100th boooooosta #ExcessDeaths," Hopkins added.

Political commentator Tan Smith was not impressed, commenting: "I’ve seen a lot of grim stuff on here, but seeing hateful psychopath Katie Hopkins, recording herself laughing whilst mocking Kate Garraway regarding the death of her husband, was one of the worst." While comedian Dom Joly added: "She is a pure sociopath- zero empathy, total grifter."

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