Kate Garraway has said she “can't quite believe” husband Derek Draper isn't with her to “watch his story” ahead of her latest documentary following his death in January.
The presenter’s doc, film titled Kate Garraway: Derek's Story, will explore the final year of her husband's life as he struggled with the long-lasting symptoms of coronavirus and required daily care.
With the doc set to air on Tuesday, the 56-year-old confessed it had been “pretty emotional” working on the project following Draper’s death.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain, she began: “It's been pretty emotional actually. 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.”
After viewers watched a trailer for the programme earlier this week, her co-host Ed Balls added: “It was very moving to hear him speak in [that] clip we played a couple of days ago.
“Because at the same time, there's a fragility but also it is absolutely the Derek I've known for 30 years.”
In agreement, she said in response: “You're right, there's fragility, vulnerability, obviously deep ill-health and damage, but yeah he was his own man until the end.”
Garraway also mentioned that it was Draper’s choice to produce the documentary, in the hope that it would help other individuals enduring long-term illnesses.
She explained: “It was his idea to make this and his story, so hopefully as I say, when it's aired next Tuesday, 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.”
Balls added: “I can't imagine how hard it is to do this but I think it's really important you've done it” to which she said: “I hope so, I hope people see it that way. Thank you Ed.”
Former lobbyist-turned-psychologist and author Draper died on January 5 aged 56 after suffering a heart attack just before Christmas almost four years after he first fell seriously ill with Covid.
Draper contracted Covid in the early stages of the pandemic back in March 2020, resulting in a year-long stint in hospital and life-altering damage caused by the disease which required 24-hour care.
Garraway, who was married to the former Labour spin doctor for 18 years and shared children, Darcey, 18, and Billy, 14, supported him throughout and was there until the very end, holding his hand.
