Kate Garraway bids farewell to late husband at emotional funeral

TV presenter Kate Garraway bid an emotional farewell to her late husband Derek Draper at his funeral held at the Church of St Mary The Virgin in Primrose Hill, London. The private service was attended by their children, friends, and colleagues. Derek Draper, a former Labour Party lobbyist, passed away after a four-year battle with long Covid. Notable guests in attendance included Susanna Reid, Ben Shephard, Sir Keir Starmer, Tony Blair, Cherie Blair, Sir Elton John, David Furnish, and Piers Morgan, among others.

Derek Draper, a political operative and former researcher for Peter Mandelson, founded the LabourList website and later stepped down as editor amid controversy surrounding email correspondence between him and Elaine Mills. Draper fell seriously ill during the pandemic and spent 13 months in hospital before his passing. Elton John dedicated his hit single to Draper and his family during his concert at London’s O2 Arena last year, calling them inspiring and praising their resilience.

Kate Garraway, who cared for Draper for nearly four years, has been vocal about their struggles with long Covid and raising awareness about the disease. She received an award for her journalism, broadcasting, and charity work last year. She expressed her gratitude for the support received from the public and plans to return to work in the future.