Entertainment
How long has Kate Garraway been married to Derek Draper and was she married before?
Kate Garraway will give an insight into her husband Derek Draper’s devastating Covid-19 battle in tonight’s documentary Kate Garraway: Finding Derek.
The Good Morning Britain star’s husband Derek has been in hospital for almost one year, having been admitted to the hospital on March 30, 2020.
In a trailer for the programme, Kate, 53, says that Derek, also 53, who was in a coma for several months, is the ‘sickest person the team of doctors have treated that’s lived’.
In another clip, former political adviser and psychotherapist Derek can be seen mouthing the word ‘pain’ – his first word after waking from his coma.
Coronavirus has left Derek with medical complications including a hole in his heart, liver damage, and diabetes, which he did not have before.
Speaking in the documentary, Kate says: ‘Somebody said to me the other day, “You are allowed to say this isn’t what I signed up for and get out”.
‘I was like, “Oh my God.” I mean, I know they meant it weirdly kindly, as if almost giving me license. But I said, “I can’t think that! He’s in there!”’
Due to coronavirus restrictions, Kate has been unable to see her husband since Christmas.
How long has Kate Garraway been married to Derek Draper?
Kate married Derek in 2005, after they were introduced by a mutual friend – the then political editor of GMTV, Gloria De Piero – a year earlier.
Kate told The Times in 2019: ‘Derek arrived thinking it was a date and that I was being incredibly cool by ignoring him.
‘He asked me out, but the day of our date called to say he had a clash: he’d promised to serve wine at an amateur watercolour painting exhibition at his church.
‘I really thought it was a wind-up. But I turned up and he was indeed serving wine to the congregation in a salmon-pink jumper.’
After Kate left the I’m A Celebrity!… Get Me Out Of Here! jungle in late 2019, months before Derek was hospitalised, Derek had planned to pop the question to renew their vows in front of the cameras, but was overwhelmed by emotion.
However, he did propose for a second time off camera.
Kate told You magazine: ‘You’re told you can’t take any jewellery into the jungle. I didn’t want to take my wedding ring off, as I never have since we got married. But I did take my engagement ring off.
‘When Derek came to meet me after I left the jungle, he was planning to propose to me again [with the ring, in front of the TV cameras], but he got overwhelmed and burst into tears.
‘The kids leapt out and surprised me, and Darcey said, “Oh Dad – you didn’t do it!” So he got down on one knee and proposed… and I said yes, obviously.’
Kate and Derek share two children, Darcey, 15, and Billy, 11, together.
Has Kate Garraway been married before?
Kate was previously married to ITN news director Ian Rumsey from 1998 until 2002, having met him when Kate was his boss at Meridian TV.
Four years after their marriage, Kate kicked her husband out, with Ian denying reports that he was unfaithful.
In a statement, Kate said: ‘It’s always terribly sad when a marriage comes to an end. I’m disappointed that what’s a very private matter has been brought into the public domain.
‘I was dismayed by reports in the papers because they are substantially inaccurate.’
Kate Garraway: Finding Derek is on ITV tonight at 9pm.
