Kate Garraway's husband Derek makes heart-wrenching admission to cameras in new documentary

Kate Garraway has been preparing for the release of a new documentary showing husband Derek Draper's final few weeks in the hospital before his death earlier this year

Derek Draper was back writing and speaking in the year before his death - but tells the cameras filming him for his posthumous documentary that "covid changed everything".

The opening scenes of the new film show Derek writing a note to his wife Kate. She says: "The amazing thing is your writing is not as clear, because you haven't got the same dexterity, but it's exactly the same. I love it. When I first saw you write your name I burst into tears. I thought 'ah, he's still there'."

Derek writes out on an A4 pad before reading aloud: "My name is Derek Draper, I want you to hear my story. I was brought up in Chorley." He then adds poignantly: "Covid changed everything."

Later in the programme, Derek is well enough to read some of Kate's birthday cards alongside his son Bill, but it tires him out and he needs to rest soon afterwards. He is also asked by the documentary makers what he stood for. He thinks before powerfully saying "equality" and "social justice".

Derek, from Chorley in Lancashire, was a Labour Party lobbyist for almost a decade. He retrained as a psychotherapist and wrote regularly in magazines and newspapers on psychotherapy issues. He was the author of two books, Blair's 100 Days and Life Support.

When he died, former prime minister Sir Tony Blair led the tributes, describing Derek as a "good colleague and great friend." In the film, it is clear there is huge sadness for Kate that Derek can no longer show off the personality she first fell in love with. She says: "The tragedy for me is it feels like the brain was his best friend, now it is his complete enemy."

In the new film she will also explain how Derek's round-the-clock treatment had a £16,000 monthly cost which was more than her salary from ITV and has caused her to rack up huge debts.

The TV star announced that her husband had died at the age of 56 in January, after a lengthy battle with the long-term effects of Covid.

The final year of his life is documented in a new ITV programme, in which Derek speaks on camera for the first time, saying: "I want you to hear my story." He adds: "I want to be heard."

The film confronts head on the reality of Derek’s struggles though, and he has his carer Jake helping him in and out of a hyperbaric oxygen therapy to try to aid his recovery. In another scene a mobility coach is shown trying to get him back onto his own two feet.

Kate Garraway: Derek's Story airs tonight (Tuesday March 26) at 9pm on ITV1, ITVX and STV.