FOR almost four years, Derek Draper political lobbyist and husband of Good Morning Britain presenter Kate Garraway battled an exceptionally serious case of long Covid.
He contracted the virus in the early days of the pandemic, in March 2020, and died in January of this year at the age of 56 from Covid complications.
Throughout his illness, his wife has helped him to document what he's been through, both by speaking openly about his progress and through two award-winning documentary films: Finding Derek, and Caring for Derek.
Now, a third film is being shown on ITV. Titled Kate Garraway: Derek's Story, the programme joins the couple in May 2023 and confronts the reality of his illness and its impact on those around him, and how his story mirrors that of so many others across the UK who are living with serious illness and disability.
"I remember so vividly that the idea of making this third documentary at all came from Derek himself," says Kate, 56. "I hadn't planned to make another one.
"At the beginning of January 2023, he'd been released from a fourmonth 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? Kate explains that while she hadn't planned to make another film, Derek was adamant he wanted to continue documenting his illness and its impact.
"I said: 'Well, if we do, I think we should work on it together and it should be your story, told in your voice," she continues.
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