Kate Garraway is making a show with ITV to document the final year of her late husband Derek’s life after he lost his battle with long Covid.

The former Labour insider and psychotherapist married presenter Kate Garraway, 56, in 2005 and passed away in early January aged 56.

After catching Covid in 2020 Derek had been seriously ill since.

During his time in hospital in 2020, Draper was put on a ventilator and placed in an induced coma for several weeks.

Just over a year after contracting Covid, he was able to leave hospital and return to his family home in north London, with round-the-clock care.

Kate Garraway is making a show with ITV to document the final year of her late husband Derek's life after he lost his battle with long Covid
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Kate Garraway is making a show with ITV to document the final year of her late husband Derek’s life after he lost his battle with long Covid

The former Labour insider and psychotherapist married presenter Kate Garraway, 56, in 2005 and passed away in early January aged 56 (seen in 2019)
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The former Labour insider and psychotherapist married presenter Kate Garraway, 56, in 2005 and passed away in early January aged 56 (seen in 2019)

In August 2022 he was taken to hospital with sepsis but pulled through. Then in early December 2023, Draper had a heart attack and was taken to hospital again.

The new ITV film follows the two previous award-winning films also made by Flicker Productions: Finding Derek and Caring for Derek.

The couple began filming in May 2023 with hopes it would provide an insight into Derek’s personal struggles with illness and highlights’ the challenges faced by millions of people in the UK living with serious illness and disability and those who care for them’.

The film, named Derek’s Story, will reflect on Derek’s life before Covid, including his high-profile political career, as well his relationship with Kate, their early years together and how Derek’s illness changed the nature of their dynamic.

ITV said when Derek was asked why he wanted to take part in the film, he said: ‘I want to be heard.’

Kate, who has two children with Derek, Darcey 17 and Billy, 14, said: ‘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.
Derek was one of the first to fall seriously ill with Covid-19 in March 2020. Kate announced he died on January 3 last month
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Derek was one of the first to fall seriously ill with Covid-19 in March 2020. Kate announced he died on January 3 last month

Kate and her children - Darcey, 17, and William, 14 - are seen in black leaving Derek's funeral last month
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Kate and her children – Darcey, 17, and William, 14 – are seen in black leaving Derek’s funeral last month

Towards the end of his life, Kate became a full time carer to Derek (pictured at the National Television Awards in London in 2007)
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Towards the end of his life, Kate became a full time carer to Derek (pictured at the National Television Awards in London in 2007)

The film, named Derek's Story, will reflect on Derek's life before Covid, including his high-profile political career, as well his relationship with Kate (seen on their wedding day)
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The film, named Derek’s Story, will reflect on Derek’s life before Covid, including his high-profile political career, as well his relationship with Kate (seen on their wedding day)

‘And in January 2024, 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 remembered so vividly that the idea of making this third documentary at all came from Derek himself.’

Although the exact date of the release of the film is yet to be announced, ITV have confirmed it will air later this month.