23 minutes ago
About sharing
The husband of ITV presenter Kate Garraway is in a “very serious condition” after being in and out of hospital since contracting Covid in March 2020.
Former political adviser Derek Draper, 56, had been living with extreme complications from the disease and has long-lasting damage to his organs.
On Sunday it was reported he was back in hospital after another setback.
Garraway’s co-stars on ITV have sent their love to the family.
Presenting ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Monday, Charlotte Hawkins said: “We wanted to start with an update. You may have seen in the news over the weekend that Derek, Kate’s husband, is sadly in a very serious condition at the moment.”
Co-host Richard Madeley said: “We just want to let Derek, Kate and of course the whole family know we are all here thinking of them, and we know many of you are as well, and that all of us send them our very, very best wishes at what is a very, very difficult time.”
Hawkins continued: “It is indeed. Lots of love from all of us.”
In April 2021 Garraway said Draper had returned home after more than a year in hospital.
He can’t really move,” she said at the time. “We do need a lot of help. And it’s not just help with looking after him, because it is 24-hour care, and I haven’t really slept as you can probably tell.
“I will ease off, I’m just very aware at the moment and it’s a whole new team. So he’s probably got a little bit used to the people in hospital and so it’s a new team now that are working with him and helping him to come through.
“It’s going to take a lot of adjustment.”
The family’s experience of adjusting to a new way of life due to his rare condition was chronicled in the ITV documentary Finding Derek. The film explored Draper’s illness and its effect on the couple’s two children – Darcey, 15, and 11-year-old Billy.
The programme won a National Television Award in September.
Related Topics
9 April 2021
6 July 2020