Kate Garraway still battling ‘tsunami of sadness’ after husband Derek Draper’s death TV presenter Kate Garraway is still battling a “tsunami of sadness” following the death of her husband Derek Draper – admitting she often wakes up in the middle of the night “panicking” about giving him his medicine…

Kate Garraway still battling ‘tsunami of sadness’ after husband Derek Draper’s death TV presenter Kate Garraway is still battling a “tsunami of sadness” following the death of her husband Derek Draper – admitting she often wakes up in the middle of the night “panicking” about giving him his medicine..

Kate Garraway is still battling a “tsunami of sadness” following the death of her husband Derek Draper.

 

The former political lobbyist died in 2024 after a long battle with the effects of COVID-19 with Kate caring for him at home prior to his passing – and the TV presenter has now revealed that more than a year later, she still wakes up in the middle of the night “panicking” about giving him his medicine.

She told The Sun newspaper: “I still wake up in the middle of the night panicking that I haven’t given him his medicine, or that I have forgotten to move him every hour to prevent the painful contractions in his limbs.

“‘The next second I realise he no longer needs that care. There is a moment of relief – that I did not let him down – before a tsunami of sadness hits.

“Caring takes over your whole life. You don’t begrudge it, but you suffer because of it.”

Derek – who was dad to teenagers Billy and Darcy with Kate – contracted COVID-19 in March 2020 and spent 13 months in hospital after suffering multiple organ failure. He was eventually released to be cared for at home by his wife before dying in January 2024.

Speaking last year, Kate previously admitted she was only “at the beginning” of the grieving process.

She told The Mirror newspaper: “I’m only at the beginning of grief really. I’m just three months in so there are many ups and downs to come.

“At the moment it’s about focusing on the youngsters [the couple’s children], Billy and Darcy and focusing on doing things like this when I can that I haven’t been able to do.”

Kate explained her focus is on “keeping busy”, although she knows at some point she’ll need to “stop and deal with” her grief.

She added: “At the moment it’s all about keeping busy. I’m sure there will be a moment where I have to stop and deal with it.

“But at the moment I’m just keeping busy. Help is there. You just have to ask for it. And sometimes you have to ask for it time and time again. ”