Kate Garraway of Good Morning Britain has expressed her mixed emotions following her nomination for a National Television Award for her documentary, Kate Garraway: Derek’s Story. The film examines the health struggles of her late husband, Derek Draper, and will prove an emotional sequel to Garraway’s earlier work about how Covid has affected their lives
In candid comments on the red carpet, an emotional Garraway reflected on the nomination and how sad it was that Derek couldn’t be there to see her achievement. She began by thanking the many supportive comments and letters, saying it is “heartbreaking not to be able to share this with Derek” and hoping he would be proud of the documentary’s issues. Garraway also spoke of her children, Darcey and Billy, who were present though shy, which she found “wonderful.”
This documentary follows the last year of Derek’s life as he struggled through and eventually succumbed to the long battle with COVID that took his life this January at the age of 56. It forms the third in a series, after Garraway’s previous documentaries Finding Derek and Caring for Derek. Both former works picked up NTAs in 2021 and 2022 for their candid chronicling of their journey through Derek’s illness and the challenging time navigating the care system.
Garraway has not been an effortless journey. She has spoken openly about the astronomical financial cost of Derek’s care, which costs £16,000 a month, admitting that it exceeds her ITV salary and has left her deeply in debt. Derek’s healthcare needs have put a significant financial burden on Garraway, who is juggling her job and family responsibilities with the unrelenting demands of care.
Despite her successful career, Garraway acknowledged that her salary will not be able to cover both the high cost of care and everyday expenses. She referred to her financial situation as a “crunch point”—the challenge of managing Derek’s care and making “all the other ends meet.” Her honest depiction of these challenges tends to highlight broader issues in the care system.
The documentary also critiques the care system’s inadequate support for these families. Garraway highlighted the care system’s complexity and underfunding, which she believes frequently contributes to the families’ feeling of isolation. She noted that, notwithstanding her appeals for support, everything has been slow and unresponsive in the process so far.
Along with the NTA nomination for her documentary, ITV’s Mr. Bates vs. The Post Office—about the Horizon IT scandal—is also up for the new drama prize. This drama, already decorated with the NTA Impact Award, played an incredibly important role in highlighting the scandal and pushing it to the top of the political agenda.
Meanwhile, Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly are up against their 23rd straight victory in the TV presenter category, while their shows, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway has received nominations for the Bruce Forsyth entertainment award.
It was Kate Garraway’s latest documentary and frank discussion about the cost of care that finally triggered the wider debate on the reform of the care system. The bravery of sharing her personal struggles still deeply touches many, pushing into the limelight how urgent a change in support for families with similar challenges really is.
