“I’m Letting People Down”: Kate Garraway Opens Up About Fears Amid ‘Backlash’ Over Derek Draper Documentaries

Kate Garraway has shared her concerns about disappointing people, even as she faces a “backlash” for speaking publicly about her late husband, Derek Draper. The Good Morning Britain presenter lost her husband in January after a grueling three-year battle with complications from Covid-19.

Throughout Draper’s illness, Garraway, 57, allowed cameras to document her family’s journey, resulting in three documentaries that chronicle his health struggles. The most recent installment, Kate Garraway: Derek’s Story, was announced as a nominee in the authored documentary category at the National Television Awards (NTA) last month.

Despite this recognition, Garraway has hesitated to celebrate the achievement. During a segment on Thursday’s episode of Good Morning Britain, co-host Ed Balls mentioned the nomination, saying, “I’m just going to say, Kate Garraway for her fabulous documentary Derek’s Story is also nominated for an NTA.” Lorraine Kelly, who joined the conversation, congratulated Garraway on her nomination, told MetroUK.

Garraway then confessed her reluctance to publicly acknowledge the nomination. “I haven’t posted I’ve been nominated yet because I got so much backlash from doing it, for people saying, ‘stop going on about it,’” she admitted. “But actually, I realize I’m letting people down, so I am going to go for it now.”

Derek’s Story is the final documentary in the series, which also includes Finding Derek (2021) and Caring for Derek (2022). Both previous documentaries won in the same NTA category. Earlier this year, as Derek’s Story was about to be released, Garraway tearfully spoke about Draper’s feelings during his final years.

“One of the biggest frustrations was that he felt like a total failure, he felt like an incredible burden on the carers, on the system, on us, and it didn’t matter what we said, he felt that burden,” she shared on GMB. “Making this documentary was his way of saying, ‘I’m gonna speak up for the people that have supported me, the family, but also those around me and the people within the care system.’”

Garraway expressed how meaningful it was to honor her husband and the millions of others affected by similar circumstances. “It’s wonderful to have the chance to honor him and also honor the millions. I’m sad because I don’t have the chance to care anymore, but I felt it would be wrong for me to sort of walk away from the caring campaign that I feel I have a responsibility for.”

While Garraway has faced online abuse for her decision to share her family’s story, she remains committed to raising awareness. “I’ve had a few comments on Twitter saying, ‘For goodness sake, what now?’ And I knew that would happen because people don’t understand and haven’t been through the experience that Derek and millions of others do across the country,” she explained. “So, I hope people understand why.”

Despite the challenges, Garraway feels overwhelmingly supported and has received a “huge amount of love” in response to her efforts to keep her husband’s legacy and the struggles of others in the public eye.