Kate Garraway today revealed that her husband Derek Draper has died aged 56 after suffering a heart attack before Christmas following a long battle with Covid.
The Good Morning Britain star, 56, announced the passing of her husband on Instagram this morning, and revealed she was holding his hand when he died.
She said: ”I’m sad to have to tell you all that my darling husband Derek has passed away.
‘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’.
Mr Draper was a former researcher for Blairite Peter Mandelson who became a New Labour spin doctor and later retrained as a psychotherapist after a series of political scandals.
Tragically he was among the first in the UK to fall seriously ill with Covid-19 and was admitted to an intensive care unit as the country entered lockdown in March 2020. He was one of the country’s longest-suffering COVID patients after being in hospital but never fully recovered after the virus left long-lasting damage to his organs and meant he needed 24/7 care.
He suffered a massive heart attack last month and MailOnline understands he passed away on Wednesday night in a North London hospital. Kate said that he died surrounded by family.
Kate Garraway spent Christmas in hospital after Derek was left fighting for his life as he suffered a heart attack. She was seen shopping in a Christmas hat last week. She announced his death today
Derek, 56, who has been plagued with health woes after contracting Covid in 2020, was said to be in critical condition (pictured in June with Kate’s parents Gordon and Marilyn)
Kate revealed she was holding her husband’s hand when she died
Derek had been plagued with health woes after contracting Covid in 2020 and suffered a cardiac arrest in early December, with Kate spending Christmas at hospital. Ms Garraway and Mr Draper married in 2005 and have two children, Darcey and Billy.
In a post on Instagram his wife said: ‘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.
‘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.’
A prominent figure in New Labour in the 1990s, Mr Draper worked for Blairite Peter Mandelson and set up the Progress organisation with Liam Byrne, who went on to become an MP.
After he was embroiled in the so-called ‘cash-for-access’ scandal, dubbed ‘lobbygate’, he travelled to the United States, where he retrained as a psychotherapist.
Mr Draper fell seriously ill with Covid-19 in March 2020 and spent 13 months in hospital before he was discharged.
Despite being free of the virus, he had suffered long-lasting damage to his organs and required daily care.
In 2021, Good Morning Britain presenter Garraway won a prize at the National Television Awards for the documentary Finding Derek, about her family’s experience during the pandemic.
It detailed her husband’s treatment and his subsequent return to their family home.
In July 2022, Garraway confirmed Mr Draper had been readmitted to hospital and later that month it was reported that his condition had worsened.
His battle with the virus won much attention and support, including from former prime minister Boris Johnson and the royal family.
Kate and Derek at the National Television Awards in 2007
Derek Draper had two children with Garraway – a son, William, and a daughter, Darcey. Couple pictured here with their daughter, son and Derek’s mother in 2009
Former lobbyist and political adviser Derek Draper was part of one of Britain’s most prominent media power couples with his marriage to TV presenter Kate Garraway.
The New Labour spin doctor reached great heights of influence in the 1990s but became best known for his involvement in the ‘lobbygate’ scandal.
A former researcher for Blairite Peter Mandelson, Mr Draper became a director of lobbying firm GPC Market Access in 1996 and set up the New Labour organisation Progress with Liam Byrne, who went on to become an MP.
It was while working at GPC that Mr Draper was caught on tape boasting to an undercover journalist of his government connections.
In one of the first sleaze scandals to hit Tony Blair’s fledgling administration, he reportedly claimed: ‘There are 17 people who count in this government, and to say I am intimate with all of them is the understatement of the century.’
Mr Draper insisted he had done nothing wrong in the so-called ‘cash for access’ scandal dubbed ‘lobbygate’ but admitted he did have a ‘big mouth’.
The incident appeared to spell the end of any bigger political ambitions for the famously champagne-swilling New Labour stalwart and he travelled to the United States, where he trained as a psychotherapist.
In 2005, Mr Draper married Kate Garraway, the GMTV co-presenter who is now part of the Good Morning Britain team on ITV and appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2007 and I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in November 2019.
In 2008 he returned to the Labour spotlight as the head of the website LabourList, a left-wing rival to online portals such as Conservative Home.
He hit the headlines again in 2009 and stepped down as editor of LabourList after email correspondence between him and Damian McBride, one of Gordon Brown’s key aides, was leaked.
In the emails, Mr McBride proposed a campaign of unfounded personal smears against senior Conservatives on a new blog called RedRag, an idea praised by Mr Draper as ‘absolutely, totally brilliant’.
In a resignation statement released to the Guardian, Mr Draper acknowledged that his continued presence at LabourList – which was originally set up to discuss serious policy ideas – was detracting from the website.
‘I regret ever receiving the infamous email and I regret my stupid, hasty reply. I should have said straight away that the idea was wrong,’ he said.
‘I do ask people to remember that its contents were never published by me, or anyone else, involved in the Labour Party and they would never have seen the light of day were it not for someone hacking into my emails and placing them into the public domain.
‘Because of that, a silly idea ultimately destined for the trash can became a national scandal.’
Mr Draper was once again consigned to the Labour wilderness and became chief executive of a leadership consultancy, compiling weekly emails summarising the best content for business and HR leaders.
In 2019 he announced he was resigning his Labour Party membership.
Mr Draper was among the first in the UK to fall seriously ill with Covid-19 and was admitted to an intensive care unit as the country entered lockdown in March 2020.
He was placed in an induced coma and it was not until more than a year later, in April 2021, that he was able to return home to his family.
His case attracted much media attention, partly because of his marriage to Garraway, who produced an award-winning documentary about his illness, and partly because of the length of his hospital stay.
Some media reported that he had become the nation’s longest-suffering patient after spending 13 months in hospital.
Despite now being free of the virus, Mr Draper had suffered long-lasting damage to his organs and required daily care at home.
In early July 2022, Garraway disclosed he had been readmitted to hospital and later that month dropped out of presenting Good Morning Britain as his condition worsened.
The February following, the ITV series Kate Garraway: Caring for Derek aired on ITV, and documented Draper’s arrival home from the hospital while also following Garraway as she navigated the ‘myriad challenges of the social care system and its complexities.’
Months later, the couple were invited to be Sir Elton John’s guests of honour at his Farewell Yellow Brick Road concert at London’s O2 Arena in the April.
Draper was photographed by his wife’s side in June, despite being in and out of hospital, when she collected her MBE from the Prince of Wales in an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle.
In December, The Sun reported Draper had ‘suffered a massive heart attack’ and said Garraway was keeping a 24/7 vigil by his bedside.
Draper had two children with Garraway – a son, William, and a daughter, Darcey.
