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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Entertainment
Tina Campbell

Derek Draper funeral: Kate Garraway and children say final goodbye

Kate Garraway bid an emotional farewell to her husband Derek Draper at his funeral in north London on Friday, with their 17-year-old daughter bravely carrying the coffin.

The large service at St Mary the Virgin church in Primrose Hill was attended by the couple's high profile friends including Sir Elton John, Keir Starmer and a string of ITV presenters.

It is the same church in which Garraway, 56, and Draper were married in September 2005.

Garraway's Good Morning Britain co-stars Susanna Reid and Ben Shephard were among the first to arrive for the service.

Kate Garraway received a hug from a friend before the service (PA)

Others representing the ITV breakfast show included Richard Madeley, Robert Rinder, Ed Balls, Charlotte Hawkins, Richard Arnold and Alex Beresford.

Sir Elton John, who was described by Garraway as a "huge friend" to her during Draper's health decline, was on hand with filmmaker husband David Furnish.

The service is taking place at St Mary the Virgin church in Primrose Hill, north west London (PA)

Presenter and journalist Fiona Phillips, who regularly guest presented on Lorraine, attended with her This Morning producer husband Martin Frizell.

ITV's Lorraine Kelly, former GMB presenter Piers Morgan and musician Myleene Klass were also there along with a host of politicians including Labour leader Keir Starmer and former PM Tony Blair, plus, Alastair Campbell who was Downing Street director of communications when Mr Blair was in power.

Kate Garraway followed the coffin as it was led into the church (PA)

A prominent figure in New Labour in the 1990s, former lobbyist-turned-psychologist and author Draper died on January 5 aged 56 after suffering a heart attack just before Christmas almost four years after he first fell seriously ill with Covid.

He was plagued with health woes after contracting the virus in March 2020, and was receiving 24-hour care.

Sir Elton John and his partner David Furnish attended the funeral of Derek Draper (PA Wire)

Garraway, who was married to the former Labour spin doctor for 18 years and shared children, Darcey, 17, and Billy, 14, supported him throughout and was there until the very end, holding his hand.

She often provided health updates about him online and fronted two ITV documentaries about how the family's life changed following his illness.

Announcing his death on Instagram, Garraway wrote: "As some of you may know he has been critically ill following a cardiac arrest in early December which, because of the damage inflicted by Covid in March 2020, led to further complications.

"Derek was surrounded by his family in his final days and I was by his side holding his hand throughout the last long hours and when he passed."

Derek Draper pictured with Kate Garraway and her parents after she was awarded with an MBE last June (PA)
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