Kate Garraway and her children are being supported by Elton John and fellowGood Morning Britain stars at Derek Draper’s funeral today (February 2).
The TV presenter, 56, and her children are in mourning after her husband’s death aged 56, and, upon announcing his death in January, revealed his family were by his side in his final days.
Garraway held his hand in Draper’s final moments.
The family put on a united front as they arrived at the funeral, held at the church where Garraway and Draper wed, with their daughter Darcey bravely among those carrying her father’s coffin to his final resting place.
On GMB shortly after Draper’s death a month ago, Garraway’s close friend and co-star Ben Shephard revealed the brutal advice Darcey had given her mother.
‘In that brilliant way … she said, “I have to go out to go and register the death”,’ he said, before revealing a sweet conversation Garraway had with her teenage daughter.
‘She told Darcey, “I’m going to have to go out the house”, and Darcey said, “I know this is going to be really hard but can I make one suggestion?” She says, “course you can darling”.
‘And then Darcey said, “can you take the Christmas jumper off and can you brush your hair?”‘
In July 2023, Garraway revealed that her son Billy was left in tears after being able to briefly communicate with Drape, whose health and mobility were both severely affected after contracting Covid in March 2020.
She told Loose Women: ‘I don’t think we are necessarily going to have a conversation but you get fantastic moments.
‘This is so silly, but Billy had a new basketball and he was bouncing it and suddenly Derek said “Is that a new ball?” and we all just gasped.’
She continued: ‘And Billy goes “Yes, yes it is” and [Draper] goes “It’s nice”, and seeing him able to interact, it is something you take for granted, but then Billy was in tears.’
He suffered a cardiac arrest in December 2023 which, due to the damage already inflicted by Covid-19, resulted in further difficulties in the aftermath.
Following Draper’s funeral, many will be thinking of Garraway and the couple’s two young children, who were by their dad’s side in his final days.
Garraway thanked those who had looked after Draper in recent weeks before going on to mention that he spent his last hours ‘surrounded by his family’.
Who are Kate Garraway and Derek Draper’s kids?
Kate Garraway and Derek Draper had two children together after tying the knot back in September 2005, having first met each other in autumn 2004.
In March 2006, Garraway gave birth to Darcey Mary Draper. Darcey, now 17, has attended several red carpet events with her TV personality mum through the years.
Three years later, in July 2009, the couple announced that their second child, son William, had been born – he took on the affectionate nickname ‘Billy’ shortly afterwards.
What has Kate Garraway said about her children amid Derek Draper’s health battle?
Darcey and Billy both appeared in Garraway’s emotional documentary Finding Derek, which was originally broadcast a year after Draper first contracted Covid.
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In the documentary, Darcey said of her dad: ‘I’ve never thought the worst. I’ve always thought he’s going to get better … but we really don’t know at all.’
Billy revealed that, while he and his dad used to frequently play with Lego together, he’s learned how to spend time playing with the figurines on his own.
‘I built a [Lego house] by myself,’ he said, before confirming that his dad was ‘very much’ like a ‘big kid’ when the two would spend time together.
Billy added: ‘I really want him back but I don’t know if he’s going to get better or not.’
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