Kate Garraway’s friends rally around ‘broken’ host after husband Derek Draper’s death

Channel 5 presenter Clare Nasir gave an update on ’Good Morning Britain’ host

Kate Garraway’s close friend has shared some insight into how the Good Morning Britain host is coping following the death of her husband, Derek Draper.

Draper, a former political lobbyist, died earlier this month, nearly four years after he was admitted to the hospital with a severe case of Covid.

Garraway had spent a significant portion of her time caring for Draper as he suffered with the effects of long Covid, which included requiring round-the-clock care.

Though most have offered Garraway support and words of condolence in the weeks since Draper’s death, former Apprentice contestant Katie Hopkins was criticised for a post mocking the presenter’s grief.

Earlier this week, Clare Nasir, a TV meteorologist and friend of Garraway, gave an update on how the broadcaster is doing.

“She’s devastated, she’s broken,” Nasir told Closer magazine. “She’s going from moments of real reflectiveness to moments where she’s just crying.

“She’s been fighting for the right for Derek to live for four years now. It was a heck of a long journey for her and she was with him until he died. She didn’t give up the fight until the very last moment.”

Derek Draper and Kate Garraway (PA News)

Nasir, who regularly presents the weather on Channel 5 News, also revealed that Garraway is “exhausted” due to lack of sleep, and that her friends have organised a schedule to ensure that she and her children receive the support that they need.

“When I was with her she’d had very little sleep. She’d been at Derek’s bedside night and day while trying to care for her family," she added to the publication.

"What do you do? What do you say? There’s no light for her at the moment, just grief and absolute sadness. The other weekend there was a lot of making tea and cooking.

“We managed to play a couple of little games with the kids to add a little light. Kate waxed and waned it’s just so sad to see, she’s just broken.”

Clare Nasir (Getty Images)

Days after Draper died, Garraway shared her gratitude for the public’s kind words with a video message on Good Morning Britain.

“Hello everyone,” she said. “Thank you so much for all the wonderful messages that you have sent me. It really does mean so much to me, Darcey, Billy and all of Derek’s family.

“They are an extraordinary comfort and I’m so lucky to feel connected to you all through these messages at this time when the raw pain of grief can be so isolating.”

Garraway continued: “And that is the wonderful thing, isn’t it, about our Good Morning Britain family. That all of us on the team and all of you watching from home are connected, supporting each other through the challenges of life, knowing that we can also laugh at the fun and joys together that we share too.”

The host, who has been a popular figure on ITV since joining the breakfast show GMTV in 2000, will be off-screen for the foreseeable future.