Millions of ITV viewers were left in tatters as they witnessed Derek Draper's last moments in the one-off special Kate Garraway: Derek's Story. But despite emotions being at an all-time high, a handful of individuals made it clear they were no longer interested in his health battle.
Speaking to Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard on the set of This Morning on Wednesday, Kate Garraway responded to the abominable and harsh backlash she was targeted with on social media while she continues to speak up about her late husband's struggle.
"I think people are a bit bored of me banging on about the same thing", she first told the hosts before admitting: "I understand that, really. I don't think I would have made a 3rd one if it hadn’t been that Derek wanted to", the Good Morning Britain presenter continued, "but I'm glad I did."
Kate explained that other individuals have supported her in her choice to open up due to them not having the platform necessary to share their own battle.
"Those other people can't (speak out), they don't have a place to talk about it and they're saying to me 'please don't give up", Kate justified. "I sort of have to", she went on, "and I'm sorry about that and if people do watch it, maybe they will see it's coming from a different place."
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In recent months, particularly after Derek's tragic death in January, 2024, many social media users have voiced their frustration towards Kate Garraway, most notably on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Kate Garraway was on the set of This Morning this Wednesday, March 27 (ITV)But this didn't stop Kate from sharing an insight on Derek's end of life or revealing that she'd also encountered her own health scare as she was taking care of her husband and was facing huge amounts of debt.
Derek contracted COVID-19 in the early stages of the pandemic, in March, 2020, and underwent a harrowing set of years before eventually drawing his last breath at the age of 56.
The former political advisor notably suffered from a string of setbacks as the infectious disease left him with severe health complications as he faced sepsis and became wheelchair-bound. This required him to be taken care of by a round-the-clock team of health professionals, including a carer named Jake with whom he bonded during his last months.
Derek Draper passed away at the age of 56 (ITV)When questioned about his own experience with Derek Draper's deteriorating health, Jake said: "I was wondering if he really, really knew how much it was important for all of us to enjoy these moments with him."
"For me, it was work, it was difficult and I’m tired and everything but I always had that joy", he continued, before confessing to "missing" Derek Draper.
It was then revealed that Jake had taken a step back from his caring duties following Derek's shock death but it wasn't clear whether his decision was permanent.
Kate laid her husband Derek to rest in early February, 2024, with their two children, Darcey, 18, and Billy, 14, by her side.
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