Yahoo News Kate Garraway hits back at trolls criticising documentary Derek's Story
ITV announces documentary Kate Garraway: Derek's Story
What did you miss?
Kate Garraway has fired back at the trolls who have criticised her after ITV's announcement about new documentary Derek's Story.
Derek Draper died aged 56 after a long battle with COVID, having first contracted the virus at the start of the pandemic in March 2020. Paying their respects, Elton John and Tony Blair attended Draper's funeral while the political lobbyist's daughter Darcey, 17, helped carry his coffin.
Now a documentary film capturing the final year of his life follows award-winning documentaries Finding Derek and Caring for Derek. After it hit headlines on Wednesday, Garraway revealed on Thursday morning that she had already received some hate.
What, how and why?
Garraway told her co-hosts Ed Balls and Susanna Reid: "I've had a few comments on Twitter, 'Oh for goodness sake what now?' And I knew that would happen because people don't understand and probably haven't been through the situation maybe that Derek experienced and millions of others do across the country. So I hope people understand why."
Reid had comforted her colleague by sharing a positive tweet from someone called Pip, whose husband had died from brain cancer in 2022 and asked her to tell his story too.
She read out the tweet that said: "A few weeks before he died he asked me to tell his story. The story of his cancer journey, his care by us, his family and his amazing carers Sophia and Mo. I honoured his wishes in my eulogy at his funeral. I think it was important for his wishes to be fulfilled. That his voice was heard."
"Well I'm glad," Garraway had responded. The mum-of-two lifted the lid on why it was the right time to tell her late husband's story. She said: "It's important to not walk away from something, just because the person to who made it very relevant to our family life isn’t there. It wouldn’t be right for Derek it wouldn’t be right for all those within the system."
She further elaborated saying: "I hope people understand. There are moments of joy too as there always were along the way as you know but yeah hopefully that will be good." Referring back to the tweet, she added: "That’s so interesting what Pip said."
Referring to the less positive messages she'd received, presenter Balls showed great support for his colleague as he urged her to ignore the hate. He said: "It would be upsetting to our viewers if you took seriously a few nasty negative things. There are millions of people who are totally on your side. Absolutely the right thing to do. Ignore that hate!"
Garraway agreed: "Yes absolutely, I get a huge amount of love." Understanding of the hate, she added: "It’s fine to have a little bit of hate along the way. People have their views. I knew some people would say that. But for the millions more it will help – and indeed Derek and the children – it felt the best thing to do."
What do we know about Derek's Story?
The film joined Draper and Garraway in May 2023 and Draper in his own words had said he wanted to tell his story, saying: "I want to be heard."
Garraway revealed she questioned whether they would share the final documentary following Draper's death. However, she explained why she felt it was important to tell this final part of Draper's story with the world and how the film is a tribute to him.
She explained: "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. 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."
She added: "I am delighted that the film is a tribute to Derek, his incredible spirit and a tribute to all of those who fight on to make every second of life count, whatever is thrown at them."
ITV controller of factual Jo Clinton-Davis said: "We can see in Derek Draper’s story, the individual tragedy of a life devastated by illness, but also the wider perspective of how a family is impacted. Derek’s desire for his story to be filmed, along with Kate in their home, provides an insight into both their personal struggles as well highlighting the exhausting challenges of caring for a family member in the home within our care system."
Colleen Flynn, executive producer at Flicker Productions, said: "We thank Kate and Derek for sharing their story at the most intimate of times and hope that this film goes some way to highlighting the need for the positive change they both hoped for within the care system."
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV1 & ITVX.
