Kate Garraway offers update after receiving ‘unsettling post’ for late husband

By Laura Harding, PA Deputy Entertainment Editor

Kate Garraway has said she has now had a response from her local council after “post, bills, demands, threats of bailiffs” were sent to her late husband.

The Good Morning Britain star announced in January this year that former political lobbyist Derek Draper had died at the age of 56 after a lengthy battle with the long-term effects of Covid.

However, the 56-year-old said she is still receiving “unsettling” post for him and has struggled to get through to Haringey Council for help.

Earlier this week she tagged Haringey London Borough Council in a plea on social media site X, formerly Twitter, writing: “@haringeycouncil please help – have been trying for ten days solid to speak to someone about my husband passing away – following unsettling post making demands which obviously he can’t respond to.

“I just cannot get through.

“Again today nearly 50 mins wait & before I could … the man put me straight back to the beginning – another 20 mins and then it timed out as shuts at 5pm.

“Is there a bereavement service or SOMETHING!!!!”

Offering an update while hosting GMB on ITV, she said: “This is not an attack on Haringey Council, it was borne out of utter frustration.

“I don’t like putting things on to Twitter, but many good people, including Martin Lewis, say that often the people that monitor social media are more staffed than the people who have to answer phones.

“So it’s not really sending of the post, because you understand that there will be a period where the algorithm doesn’t work out someone’s passed away.

“It’s something that’s been going on for about three or four years actually… This has particularly to do with post – bills, demands, threatens of bailiffs – still going to Derek, even though I’ve been paying those things, but I have a different name on some accounts, and not be able to get through to anyone to say this person has passed away, and I’m sure I’m not alone in that.

“I’m sure it’s a common experience and very frustrating, because you want to be able to sort things out.

“Lots of areas do have specific bereavement people who take that on for you, and help you to navigate through, but it’s just that others don’t, and you’re having the same conversation again and again.

“Haringey Council have got in touch and asked me to DM them directly with my details, and hopefully it will get resolved, but then it shouldn’t be because you’re on the telly and you tweet something that these things happen, should it?

“Because I’m sure there’s many people that are railing against it without that, so we’ll see where that goes.”

The final year of her husband’s life was documented in an ITV documentary titled Kate Garraway: Derek’s Story, which followed on from two other programmes about Draper’s battle with Covid and her struggles navigating the care system.

In the programme Garraway revealed that the £16,000 monthly cost of his care was more than her salary from ITV and caused her to rack up huge debts.