Susanna Reid today choked back tears as she shared Kate Garraway’s heartbreaking message thanking the public for their ‘love and support’ following the death of her husband Derek Draper.
It comes after Kate received an outpouring of sympathy from Good Morning Britain viewers who wrote in to the programme and to Kate herself, to express their heartfelt condolences.
Derek had been plagued with health woes after contracting coronavirus in March 2020, which saw him put in a coma, battle sepsis and left with difficulties communicating.
The former lobbyist and political adviser suffered a cardiac arrest in early December and died aged 56 last week.
In a statement read on GMB this morning, Kate said: ‘Hello everyone. Thank you so much for all the wonderful messages that you have sent me. It really does mean so much to me, Darcey, Billy and all of Derek’s family.
‘They are an extraordinary comfort and I’m so lucky to feel connected to you all through these messages at a time when the raw pain of grief can be so isolating. And that is the wonderful thing isn’t it, about our Good Morning Britain family, that all of us on the team and all of you watching from home are connected, supporting each other through the challenges of life knowing we can also laugh at the fun and joys together that we share too.
‘I am certain that it is the support you have given me and sent to Derek that has sustained us through these tough nearly 4 years, motivating us to fight for each other and for those who can’t fight for themselves.
‘And it will sustain us to continue that fight in the weeks and months and years to come.
Kate Garraway has thanked members of the public for their ‘love and support’ in a heartbreaking message following the death of her husband Derek Draper
Kate received an outpouring of sympathy from Good Morning Britain viewers who wrote in to the programme and to Kate herself, to express their heartfelt condolences
Kate Garraway has been comforted by her beloved husband Derek Draper ‘no longer being in pain’ following his devastating four-year battle with long Covid
The former lobbyist and political adviser suffered a cardiac arrest in early December and sadly died, aged 56, on January 5
Kate said in her heartbreaking message: ‘We are taking time to heal ourselves now that Darcey and Billy know their daddy is at peace and free from pain and struggle’
‘I look forward to waking up with you very soon again on Good Morning Britain to celebrate life in all its wonder and challenge again.
‘I hope you forgive me for taking some time to be at home. My family is so grateful that we could be with our dearest Derek in his final moments, something not all get to share.
‘Maybe you too are going through grief yourself or have done in the past, I send love and support for you too.
‘We are taking time to heal ourselves now that Darcey and Billy know their daddy is at peace and free from pain and struggle.
‘I shall be thinking of you all until we are reunited very soon. In the meantime, hug your loved ones close. All my love, Kate.’
Kate’s colleagues Peter Madeley and Susanna Reid said the message was ‘classic Kate’, that in a ‘deeply painful’ circumstance for her and her family, she would think of others.
A friend of Kate’s told the Mail last week: ‘She is doing okay, she is bearing up and is being strong for her children.’
One viewer, Maria, said: ‘Listening to Kate delivering this lovely message brought tears to my eyes as I understand what the family are going through. I lost my dearest husband… I sent her hugs as she will need them at this time.’
Kate shared an emotional Instagram post confirming Derek’s death last Friday, and told how she was holding his hand when he died on Wednesday in a north London hospital.
The Good Morning Britain host, 56, took to Instagram on Friday to announce the heartbreaking death of her husband Derek (pictured in 2019) at the age of 56
Kate shared an emotional Instagram post confirming Derek’s death last Friday, and told how she was holding his hand when he died on Wednesday in a north London hospital
In an Instagram post on Friday, Kate confirmed that Derek had died after suffering a heart attack before Christmas and thanked the medical teams who fought ‘so hard to save him’
Alongside a smiling picture of Derek, she wrote: ‘I’m sad to have to tell you all that my darling husband Derek has passed away.
‘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.
‘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.
‘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.’
understands that Derek passed away on Wednesday night in a North London hospital.
The heartbreaking turn of events came after it was reported Derek was ‘in great spirits’ and looking forward to Christmas with his family.
Derek was in and out of hospital after he fell seriously ill with coronavirus at the very start of the pandemic in March 2020, and was left with lasting damage to his organs.
Doctors put him in a medically induced coma and he became the longest-suffering coronavirus patient in the UK after spending 13 months in hospital, apart from Kate and their two children.
However, he was readmitted several times with numerous health issues, including kidney failure, brain inflammation and liver damage.
Following the devastating news of his death, Kate has been flooded with a huge outpouring of support as her celebrity friends have paid tribute to Derek.
Leading the messages of sympathy was her Good Morning Britain co-star Susanna Reid, who simply wrote: ‘Our whole hearts are with you all while Alan Carr said: ‘Oh Kate that’s so awful. Sending you so much love and the deepest condolences.’
Sky News’ Ian King paid a moving tribute to Derek during a live broadcast after learning about the death of his ‘great friend’.
A crestfallen Ian, who studied at University of Manchester with 56-year-old Mr Draper, paid tribute to his friend in an emotional statement on air.
He said: ‘Derek was a sufferer with Covid right from the outset [and] very, very severely affected by that.
‘[It’s] awfully sad news – and very personal for me too because I was at university with Derek more than 30 years ago and I considered him a great friend. My condolences to the family.’
Good Morning Britain presenter Ben Shephard also shared a message of support for his co-host and longtime friend Kate.
Ben, 49, shared a picture of Derek kissing Kate on the cheek and wrote on Instagram: ‘On what has been the saddest of days @kategarraway I’ve been reminding myself of the wonderful times and memories we have all shared together.
‘This is how I’ll always think of Derek – bringing you so much joy, your smile says it all, the size of which is matched only by his love for you, Darcey and Bill. Sending all our love Kate to you and all the family.
‘Also thank you to everyone who has reached out to me, I promise I will pass on your messages, I know they will bring Kate so much comfort as they have for the last few years.’