Kate Garraway reveals people “don’t know what to say” to her grieving daughter Darcey, 17, and son Billy, 14, following the death of husband Derek Draper

Kate Garraway has revealed that people ‘don’t know what to say’ to her daughter Darcey, 17, and son Billy, 14, following the death of her husband Derek Draper.

The presenter, 56, has returned to Good Morning Britain following Derek’s funeral last week. The former political lobbyist died aged 56 on January 3 following a cardiac arrest after years of multiple health complications after contracting Covid.

Kate said in the weeks that have passed, friends and strangers are struggling to know what is the best thing to say to her grieving family.

In a segment highlighting those who had lost loved ones to Covid on Friday’s show, Kate said: ‘I’m trying to help too, I don’t mean to begin to understand how I can help myself.

‘But I’m also trying to help my children and one of the things they’ve said is that people don’t know what to say to them.

The presenter, 56, has returned to Good Morning Britain following Derek’s funeral last week (pictured with Darcey and Billy)

Kate said in the weeks that have passed, friends and strangers are struggling to know what is the best thing to say to her grieving family

‘They want to help their friends and other people feel comfortable to still have a relationship with them not to ignore but to do it.

Addressing Larry Lamb, who was on the show, talking about how Marie Curie cared for her brother Wesley, who died in 2019, and Marie Curie bereavement counselor Claire Collins, she said: “What advice do you have for people , who knows others of loss?’

Kate then gave a special shout out to her co-star Ben Shephard, who has been a pillar of support for the family. She said: ‘I mean Ben is in that situation with me, you’re brilliant at it.’

Elsewhere on the show, Kate revealed she was attacked on social media by trolls for laughing when she returned to Good Morning Britain on Thursday.

She said: ‘I got a bit of a miss on social media yesterday for laughing with you (Ben) like it meant I didn’t care… I have to laugh!’

The segment focused on the widespread feelings of grief shared by millions who lost loved ones during the Covid pandemic.

Kate admitted she has felt “very numb” since the loss of Derek and is only in the early stages of grieving as a result of what Covid did to her family.

She said: ‘We were talking about this time last year, about the day of reflection and the importance of it.

“And I mean, of course, I’m in a different place to talk about it now. And I’m very aware of the feeling of grief, although I’m also very aware that I’m actually only in the early stages and there are so many different stages of it all.’

Derek Draper (pictured) died on January 5 aged 56 after a four-year battle with complications from Covid

The segment focused on the widespread feelings of grief shared by millions who lost loved ones during the Covid pandemic

Larry Lamb was on the show talking about how Marie Curie cared for her brother Wesley who died in 2019

Kate admitted she has felt “very numb” since the loss of Derek and is only in the early stages of grieving what Covid did to her family

Kate later said: ‘We are not prepared for loss. No one is equipped for that. Nobody wants to be able to face it, but we’re all going to come up against it at some point in our lives.’

Draper’s funeral – which was attended by figures including ex-prime minister Sir Tony Blair, musician Sir Elton and Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer – was held last Friday at the Church Of St Mary The Virgin in Primrose Hill, North West London.

Kate praised Derek’s ‘spirit and fight to carry on’ and said her children Darcey and Billy had been ‘extraordinary throughout’.

She said: ‘It feels like five years and two minutes since Derek was in a positive place before the cardiac arrest that took him from us.

She added that people asked why she had to go back to work so soon, but said: ‘Life has to start. We must pick ourselves up and carry on.

‘That’s what Derek wanted me to do. Thanks to everyone who made it possible.’