Kate Garraway says 'Derek Draper wanted to be heard' as she talks 'bittersweet' National Television Awards win

Kate Garraway said it was a "very strange feeling" to take home the gong after being crowned the winner of Authored Documentary at the National Television Awards.

The NTAs returned on Wednesday to celebrate the best of all the incredible shows and unbelievable talent, with the likes of Mr Bates vs The Post Office, I'm A Celebrity, Toby Jones and more taking home awards. When it came to Authored Documentary, Kate beat Beckham, Rhod Gilbert: A Pain in the Neck, Robbie Williams and Rose Ayling-Ellis: Signs for Change.

She admitted it was "bittersweet" winning the award for her documentary, Kate Garraway: Derek's Story, after the death of her husband Derek Draper. The programme followed the final year of Mr Draper's life, before he died in January aged 56, after a lengthy battle with the long-term effects of Covid.

It was followed by two other programmes about his battle with COVID-19 and her struggles navigating the care system, which both picked up NTA gongs in the category in 2021 and 2022. Speaking about the win, she said in the winners room: "It's a very, very strange feeling. Bittersweet, isn't it?

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"But wonderful because [we all] made such a beautiful film and Derek wanted to be heard and wanted the things the message in the whole documentary is that you keep fighting on and life is precious and you need support to live the best life."

She also said: "It's not about me, it's not about Derek. It's about the subject matter that touches everyone doesn't it? Everybody knows somebody who needs care and if they don't now, they will do. Hopefully, it's given those people a bit of a voice." She added it was surreal to be in the same category with the likes of the Beckhams and Robbie Williams.

Speaking from the red carpet on Wednesday evening, the Good Morning Britain presenter told the PA news agency: "The comments I've had and the emails and the letters have been so wonderful, and so obviously it's been very sad in a way, because you'd love him to be here, or even if he wasn't well enough to be actually here then to be going home to tell him all about it. But on the other hand, he will be so happy, I think that the issues that he wanted raised are being raised and so hopefully that's good."

The TV star said he would have been "very proud of these two", referring to their children Darcey and Billy, who "get very shy at these things but wanted to come". She added that it is "wonderful" to have the "Draper gang".

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