Kate Garraway reveals she told husband Derek Draper 'we're going to be fine if you can't fight anymore' in his final days before he passed away: 'What you need now is peace'
Kate Garraway revealed the heartbreaking discussion she had with husband Derek Draper in his final days leading up to his death.
In the heart-wrenching ITV documentary Derek's Story which aired on Tuesday, Kate bravely disclosed what she told Derek when he was in a critical condition after suffering a cardiac arrest in December 2023, which led to his passing on January 3 aged 56.
Derek suffered one of the worst affected case of Covid in the UK, with the virus attacking every organ in his body.
At the very end of the emotional documentary, Kate said that she told Derek she and their children Darcey 17 and Billy, 14, 'will be fine if you can't fight it anymore'.
With doctors urging 'there is no way back' from the cardiac arrest, Kate revealed she told Derek: 'You know me I’m going to fight this all the way but if you can’t fight anymore and what you need now is peace don’t think about us. We’re going to be fine.
Kate Garraway, 56, revealed the heartbreaking discussion she had with husband Derek Draper in his final days leading up to his death
In the heart-wrenching ITV documentary Derek's Story which aired on Tuesday, Kate bravely disclosed what she told Derek when he was in a critical condition after suffering a cardiac arrest in December 2023, which led to his passing on January 3 aged 56
'An awful lot of what he had done was wanting to be there as a dad and a husband.
'We had a different kind of love that we had before but it was love and even though it was chaotic and crazy and an absolute slog - in the midst of all that was family.'
Asked whether she had an regrets, Kate said: 'It is every single minute I didn't spend holding his hand because I had to write an email or take a call to fight the system that should be there to catch you when you fall but feels like, when you’re going through it, is there to catch you out.
'And that’s what now, I want to be Derek’s legacy, to fight on for that change.'
Elsewhere in the documentary, Derek called himself 'pathetic' as he struggled to lift himself out of his wheelchair.
Derek become visibly emotional and burst into tears as he attempted to stand up during physio with the help of a carer.
Kate attempted to console him, insisting 'it's not pathetic, you're absolutely trying' and the strain on her face was also clear to see.
While watching the distressing footage, viewers found it 'very hard' to watch while he was having the physical therapy.
Derek, who decided himself to make the final documentary, suffered one of the worst affected case of Covid in the UK, with the virus attacking every organ in his body
At the very end of the emotional documentary, Kate said that she told Derek she and their children Darcey 17 and Billy, 14, (pictured) 'will be fine if you can't fight it anymore'
With doctors urging 'there is no way back' from the cardiac arrest, Kate revealed she told Derek: ' You know me I’m going to fight this all the way but if you can’t fight anymore and what you need now is peace don’t think about us. We’re going to be fine'
She added: 'An awful lot of what he had done was wanting to be there as a dad and a husband'
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, fans wrote: 'Whatever you think of #KateGarraway. Watching what she had to go through looking after Derek is. His care was £4000 a week. Seeing his distress having physical therapy is a hard watch. We need better care for our long term sick.'
Kate's late husband was plagued with health woes after contracting Covid in March 2020, which saw him put in a coma, battle sepsis and left with difficulties communicating.
Derek’s Story features him talking on camera for the first time since his health battle as he admitted: 'I want to be heard.'
Former Labour insider and psychotherapist Derek married presenter Kate in 2005 and they went on to welcome children Darcey and Billy.
In 2021, just over a year after contracting Covid, he was able to leave hospital and return to his family home in north London, with round-the-clock care.
In August 2022 he was taken to hospital with sepsis but pulled through. Then in early December 2023, Derek had a heart attack and was taken to hospital again.
Tragically, he wasn't able to overcome the latest medical emergency and on January 5 Kate confirmed that Derek died.
In a post on social media, she said that her husband died surrounded by family and that she was 'holding his hand throughout the last long hours'.
Elsewhere in the documentary, Derek called himself 'pathetic' as he struggled to lift himself out of his wheelchair
Derek become visibly emotional and burst into tears as he attempted to stand up during physio with the help of a carer
While watching the distressing footage, viewers found it 'very hard' to watch while he was having the physical therapy
Derek had been plagued with health woes after contracting the virus in March 2020, which saw him put in a coma, battle sepsis and left with difficulties communicating (pictured 2019)
She said his Covid infection had left him with lasting damage to his heart which had led to 'further complications'.
Kate also thanked the medical teams for making his final moments as 'comfortable and dignified as possible.'
MailOnline understands Derek passed away on Wednesday night (January 3) in a north London hospital.