Kate Garraway's late husband Derek Draper suggested making a third documentary about his health struggles - because he wanted "to be heard".
Kate Garraway's late husband Derek Draper suggested making a third documentary about his health struggles
The former political lobbyist passed away in January aged 56, and the idea for a new documentary, 'Kate Garraway: Derek's Story', which documents the final year of Derek's life, was devised by the man himself.
When asked why he wanted to take part in the upcoming film, which will air on ITV1 on March 26th, Derek said: "I want to be heard."
'Good Morning Britain' presenter Kate hadn't planned to make a third film, following award-winning documentaries 'Finding Derek' and 'Caring for Derek'.
She said: "Obviously when we started making this documentary early last year, we had no idea the events that would unfold that ultimately took Derek from us.
"And in January 2024, after he had passed, I wondered if it was right that it should ever come to air.
"But I didn’t want to let those who have given us so much support over the last four years down, and the carers paid and unpaid who in their thousands of letters to me, feel Derek’s story has given them a voice.
"Also, I remember so vividly that the idea of making this third documentary at all came from Derek himself.
"I hadn’t planned to make another one. At the beginning of January 2023, he’d been released from a four-month spell in hospital for sepsis and we were very positive about his recovery.
"Derek was determined to keep on getting better and improving. One day, we were sitting together while I was caring for him and he suddenly, from nowhere, asked, ‘Are we making another documentary?’.
"I said, ‘Well I hadn’t really planned to. Were you thinking that you would like to?’. And he said firmly, 'Yes.'
"I said, ‘Well, if we do, I think we should work on it together and it should be your story, told in your voice.’ "
Kate has told how Derek became "very emotional" at the idea of the documentary being told in his voice.
She explained: "Derek got very emotional at the idea, because his words and speech were so limited and there were so many things he wanted to say about the struggle we were all having as a family and he wanted to speak up about it.
"I asked Derek, ‘What would be your main message?’ And he said, ‘Never give up fighting for what you believe in and for the people you love.’ "
Derek had been seriously ill since contracting COVID-19 in the early days of the pandemic in 2020.
He spent 13 months in hospital, making him Britain’s longest suffering coronavirus victim, and his health battle had left him with long-lasting organ damage and requiring 24/7 care at home.
‘Kate Garraway: Derek's Story’ airs Tuesday 26th March at 9pm on ITV1, ITVX and STV.
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