Kate Garraway was supported by her family and friends from the worlds of TV, politics and music as she laid her beloved husband Derek Draper to rest at the same North London church where they married almost 19 years ago.
Wearing a long black coat, a string of pearls and Derek’s watch on her wrist, the broadcaster clutched her 14-year-old son Bill’s hand as they followed Derek’s flower-covered coffin inside the church of St Mary the Virgin in Primrose Hill, while daughter Darcey, 17, bravely took on the role of pallbearer.
Among the dozens of mourners joining the family at the requiem mass on Friday morning was Sir Elton John, who was with husband David Furnish and gave a touching performance at the service. They were joined by Kate’s Good Morning Britain colleagues Susanna Reid, Charlotte Hawkins, Ranvir Singh, Ben Shephard, Sean Fletcher and Robert Rinder, as well as weather presenters Laura Tobin and Alex Beresford, who arrived hand in hand.
New Labour heavyweights were also out in force to pay their respects to their former spin doctor, including former Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair with Lady Blair, Lord Mandelson and former communications chief Alastair Campbell. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was also in the congregation, along with Ed Miliband, Ed Balls, political journalist Robert Peston and former Sky News political editor Adam Boulton.
Kate’s close friend and former GMB colleague Piers Morgan was there to support her too, as were Richard Madeley, Roman Kemp and Myleene Klass, who stepped in to cover Kate’s slot on Smooth Radio while Derek battled the effects of Covid-19.
Making an appearance in public for the first time since she was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s was former presenter Fiona Phillips, who was accompanied by her ITV executive husband Martin Frizell. Meanwhile former Labour MP Gloria De Piero, who first introduced Kate to her “outrageously funny” friend Derek in 2004 when she was political editor at GMTV, was there to say a final farewell.
In a heartbreaking tribute,
