Kate Garraway is on ‘survival mode’ and faces £800k debt for late husband Derek Draper’s care

25 March 2024

Kate Garraway has admitted she is on “survival mode” and faces up to £800,000 in fees for her late husband’s care.

Kate Garraway has admitted she is on 'survival mode' and faces up to £800,000 in fees for her late husband’s care

The TV star, 56 - who presents ‘Good Morning Britain’ - lost her 56-year-old husband Derek Draper in January 2024 following a lengthy battle with Covid and she has opened up about the emotional and financial toll caring for him has taken on her.

Speaking to The Times, she said: “Derek’s needs were clearly so great, yet he didn’t warrant funded care — so you think, ‘If he isn’t getting it, then who is?’

“To be fair to them, no one’s contacted me since he’s passed away to ask for that. They may well still do, but they haven’t as yet. The bigger picture of the further appeals I haven’t addressed yet, because I’m still in survival mode.”

Kate, who was spending £4,000 a week for Derek’s care, then hit out against the system that felt like was “trying to catch” her out.

She said: “It’s supposed to be a system that’s meant to catch you if you fall.

“But actually, it feels like it’s trying to catch you out. You feel like you’re in the dock answering questions about things that will literally mean life or death to someone you love.”

The broadcaster, who is fronting the new ITV documentary about her late husband’s final year - ‘Kate Garraway: Derek’s Story’ - revealed that the programme will feature her husband speaking about his illness for the first time.

Reflecting on the upcoming show, she told ‘Good Morning Britain’: “It's been pretty emotional actually.

“[It] makes you want to jump in the screen and give him a hug. You can't quite believe that he's not with us to watch his story. But, hopefully, it will be very useful for others who that are going through the same thing. That's the dream and the wish.

“There's fragility, vulnerability, obviously deep ill-health and damage, but yeah he was his own man until the end.

“It was his idea to make this and his story, so hopefully it will bring a lot of help to a lot of people who are in the situation Derek's in with long-term illness and those around them that care for them and the professional carers as well.”