KATE GARRAWAY. DEREKS STORY. TUE 26 March - ITV 9pm

[Blondeshavemorefun]

This will be a real tear jerker

i watched the two previous programmes she and Derek did

this is the final year of Derek life and told in his words

Kate Garraway (https://uk.news.yahoo.com/tagged/kate-garraway/) will front a new ITV programme documenting the last year of her late husband Derek Draper’s (https://uk.news.yahoo.com/tagged/derek%20draper/) life: Kate Garraway: Derek’s Story.
The Good Morning Britain (https://uk.news.yahoo.com/tagged/good-morning-britain/) star’s husband died in January (https://uk.news.yahoo.com/derek-draper-tributes-kate-garraway-husband-covid-123921217.html)
after his battle with COVID.

She previously made two programmes about his health struggles — Finding Derek and Caring For Derek — and will now share his final chapter which will air on ITV on 26 March.

The film starts in May 2023 and looks at the final year of Draper’s life, including both sweet family moments and an insight into his health battle.

But it also looks back and reflects on his life before he contracted COVID in 2020, including his career as a political adviser, his romance with TV star Garraway — who he has two children with — and how Draper’s illness changed their relationship while they maintained their close bond.

The film also highlights the challenges faced by those living with serious illness and disability and those who care for them and will feature contributions from Draper’s carer Jake.

The programme is set to air in just a few days, close to three months after Draper died at the age of 56.

It will be on ITV at 9pm on Tuesday 26 March.
Documentary was Derek Draper’s idea
Garraway has said that she hadn’t planned to make a third documentary but that the idea came from her husband.

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,” she said. “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.”

She went on: “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'."

The presenter said she told Draper it should be his story, in his voice, explaining: "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."

When she asked Draper what his main message was, he replied: "Never give up fighting for what you believe in and for the people you love."
“We had to find a way of allowing Derek’s voice to be heard and while having to finish it without him has been so hard, I am delighted that the film is a tribute to Derek and his incredible spirit,” she added.

Saw an advert for this just now

I think it will be hard watching

Ooh no thanks (but thank you, as ever, for posting Blondes).

There is something just so incredibly off about the amount of publicity - and no doubt, money - that KG has made from her husband’s illness and death. I wonder whether the poor man had any say. Did he want to be so relentlessly exploited in this way?? Could he consent?

So, I’ll be swerving this one.

Enough already. How much more can this be milked and is anybody really interested?

Feels mawkish to watch now he’s dead.

I'll also be swerving this one. It's exploitative and much of the footage will be of a slowly dying man who could not consent to being filmed and, if accounts from many of his friends are to be believed, would have hated for the world to see him in that diminished state.

She is rapidly losing any sympathy I think and should really just give it a rest now and let her family and his grieve.

Won't be watching this. It's ghoulish, cheap TV and she has milked it for all it's worth. Yes terribly sad but let the man have peace in death. His poor children having to see it all on TV, not just now but able to be found online forever more.

She said he did consent, I hope so anyway.

I think she’s milked it too much. I bet we’ll get ‘Derek - a year on’ or ‘Derek - finding new love’ next 🤨

I’ll be watching. It sounds like it’s something he wanted to do and he wants his story out there so there’s no one better to tell it than him.
I do think it will be a hard watch though.

Do you have any evidence that he 'wanted his story out there' ?

I hope she got his consent

His death was one of the worst (well published) tragic cases /outcome of covid

After being widowed my self I do hope in time she finds love yes

Tho sure won't be a documentary about it

So bored with the woe, woe & thrice wow, far too much publicity afforded to this, anyone would think he was the only person/ family affected by Covid. It’s embarrassing how much kate is milking this now.

It's certainly a tragic story but I do feel that Kate exploited her husband's illness to make money. He had no privacy, regardless of whether he consented to be filmed or not. That last documentary, where she said to the camera 'and of course, now he's doubly incontinent' - was that really necessary? Did we have to know that detail? There's also the trip to Mexico seeking a cure, which ultimately resulted in him passing away, I wonder if that will be discussed?

I won't be watching. I had never heard of him before he got Covid. It's a personal sadness for the family but I cannot see why anybody would want to watch a TV programme about him.

I won’t be watching.

And if I said what I really think about Garraway making money out of her husband’s tragic illness & death I would be banned from MN so 🤐.

I feel the same so not for me thanks x

I really thought she would have stopped this now that he has passed away. How many more times is she going to tell “his story”?

Surprised to read so much negativity about this, although I can understand why some are skeptical. The only thing I have to add is that Kate was left with massive bills to pay, as they suddenly lost one income and their costs increased dramatically. Maybe it's a case of 'needs must'.

I am also surprised at so much negativity

I always liked them as a couple

And yes she prob did the tv stuff to pay the bills of 24/7 care and huge medical bills

If we were in her place would you not do the same ?

I think I would tbh

This

You worded it better than me @ajandjjmum

Absolutely no way I'd watch this. I lost friends to Covid and although her loss is sad for her and their children, it's not for entertainment.

Hasn't she exploited him enough?! Her ego is astonishing. It makes me sick.

I didn't watch the previous documentaries, nor have I read the book. And I won't be watching this.
Yeah, she might have been short of a few bob, though working as a tv presenter, I find that hard to believe. But those of us with morals would have to be absolutely destitute before we would exploit a loved one and their illness like this. And there will be headlines and shite in the not to distant future about "Kate finds love again" I'll warrant.

I would think it must be very painful for their children to see their dad on screen so soon after his death.

I lost my dad 2 years ago, I still find it hard to look at him in photos. Seeing him on screen as he suffered would be terribly painful.