Kate Garraway has revealed the poignant message her teenage son Billy was unable to say at the National Television Awards.
The Good Morning Britain presenter, 57, brought Billy, 15, and her daughter Darcey, 18, on stage to accept the Best Authored Documentary award on Wednesday night.
Kate won the gong for ITV show Kate Garraway: Derek’s Story, which followed the final year of her husband Derek Draper’s life before he died in January aged 56 after a lengthy battle with the long-term effects of Covid.
During her acceptance speech, the presenter dedicated the award to Draper and carers, but revealed on today’s Good Morning Britain that Billy also wanted to say: ‘Dad lives on in our hearts.’
Reflecting on the win to Susanna Reid and Ed Balls, Kate said: ‘It was very emotional for us. It feels odd when people says congratulations. The kids burst into tears backstage, and Billy said, “I did want to speak,” neither of them wanted to speak [at the time].”‘
She continued: ‘[Billy] wanted to say, “Dad lives on in our hearts,” and I said, “‘I’m so glad you didn’t because that would have floored me and I wouldn’t have been able to speak.”
Accepting the award at the NTAs, Kate reflected on how her family were halfway through the first year of ‘firsts’ without Draper, saying: ‘It’s so strange to be here – this one’s for you Derek, absolutely.’
Kate also thanked her team who helped create the documentary series and praised carers across the country, saying: ‘This one is for all those people who care.’
She also called for a system which better supports carers, adding: ‘We need a system which catches us when we fall, not catches us out… I’m going to keep the fight on for all of you.’
In the winners’ room after collecting her prize, the broadcaster eflected on the public’s support for the documentary.
‘I think maybe that’s because it’s not about me and it’s not about Derek, it’s about really the subject matter which touches everybody, doesn’t it?’ she said.
‘Everybody knows somebody who needs care of one sort or another, and if they don’t now, they will do… so I think hopefully it’s given those people a bit of a voice.’
It comes after Kate addressed a shocking backlash to the documentary on GMB last week for speaking about her late husband.
She said: ‘I haven’t posted I’ve been nominated yet because I got so much backlash from doing it, for people saying “stop going on about it”. But actually, I realise I’m letting people down, so I am going to go for it now.’
She previously said she had received online abuse or the decision to broadcast documentaries about her husband.
‘I’ve had a few comments on Twitter saying, “For goodness sakes, what now?” And I knew that would happen because people don’t understand and haven’t been through the experience, maybe, that Derek and millions of others do across the country, so I hope people understand why,’ Kate explained.
‘It’s important not to walk away from something just because the person for whom made it very relevant to our family life isn’t there. It wouldn’t be right for Derek; it wouldn’t be right for all those within the system. So, I hope people understand and that they find it very helpful.’
Kate Garraway: Derek’s Story followed on from two other programmes about his battle with Covid and her struggles navigating the care system, which picked up NTA gongs in the category in 2021 and 2022.
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV.
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