Kate Garraway’s Finding Derek becomes ITV’s most watched documentary in years

Kate Garraway’s Finding Derek has reportedly become ITV’s most-watched factual programme in years.

The Good Morning Britain host shared the story of her husband Derek Draper’s coronavirus battle in the emotional programme, after he was hospitalised a year ago.

The documentary had an average of 4.5million viewers, making it ITV’s biggest factual overnight audience in the Tuesday 9pm slot in at least a decade, according to MailOnline.

Kate, 53, is reportedly ‘overwhelmed’ by all the support she’s had, with the likes of David Beckham and Health Secretary Matt Hancock reaching out to her.

An insider told OK!: ‘Kate has had an overwhelming response from the documentary.

‘Lots of people from all walks of life are supporting her and have been in touch – she’s heard from both David Beckham and Matt Hancock. Everyone has been so supportive.’

They added that the radio presenter filmed the documentary ‘to give back to other people’.

The documentary followed Kate in her day-to-day life as Derek remains in hospital after a year.

Particularly heartbreaking moments saw the presenter crying: ‘I miss you Derek’ as she became overcome with emotion, and seeing her husband mouth the word ‘pain’ from his hospital bed.

The former political advisor, who has been married to Kate since 2005, is now out of his coma, however he struggles to talk and his muscles have depleted from remaining in a hospital bed.

In a recent interview she opened up about Derek’s ‘agony’ as he fought to stay conscious in hospital.

‘Derek is an extreme case, he has a prolonged disorder of consciousness. There was reaction, before Christmas there was progress with words and communication,’ the newsreader said on The One Show.

‘I feel like I’m on a lifeboat and he keeps coming up, there are moments where he bubbles up and it feels like you have to feel him with positivity or he’s gonna sink down.’

The mum-of-two vowed to stick by her husband of 16 years, despite someone telling her she could ‘get out of the relationship because this wasn’t what she signed up for’.

‘He is still Derek. He is still him and he’s still that person that you love. But he will behave differently and he will by physically different. So, will I be ok?’ she said.

‘I won’t be delighted because I wouldn’t wish that on him.

‘I think it will be very tough on us both but he is, for better for worse… you know, I’m trying to look at it as a rather beautiful thing. I feel as though we might have to fall in love again.’

Kate Garraway: Finding Derek is available for catch-up on the ITV Hub.

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