Just over a year after the passing of Kate Garraway’s husband, Derek Draper, she shared her hidden sorrow over losing the engagement diamond he had given her.
During an interview, the ever-positive Good Morning Britain host spoke about her recent career milestones and revealed that the diamond went missing while she was at work.
The unfortunate incident occurred while Kate was covering the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings for Good Morning Britain in June 2024. She explained, “I was walking through the poppies, looked down, and saw I’d lost it. I wanted to cry, I felt so sad, and I certainly can’t afford to replace it.”
Despite the deep emotional impact, she chose not to search for the diamond – a symbol of her love story with Derek – out of respect for her surroundings.
Kate reflected, saying, “But then I thought, having retraced the steps of the horror of the D-Day landings and the bravery shown there, this wasn’t the right moment to be thinking about ‘My diamond ring!’ It felt far too frivolous.” She added, “However, I’m going to get some kind of cubic zirconia to put in its place because it looks so sad and empty.”
Kate’s engagement ring
Derek proposed to Kate twice—once before their wedding in 2005, and again when she returned from the I’m A Celebrity jungle in 2019, just weeks before the Covid-19 pandemic began.
Kate typically wears three rings on her left hand: her square-cut engagement ring, her wedding band, and an eternity ring. When Derek fell ill in 2019, becoming the longest-surviving Covid patient after 184 days in and out of intensive care, Kate became especially attached to her rings and refused to take them off.
After one fan expressed concern that she might lose her rings while gardening, Kate responded, saying, “I know what you mean – but I’ve never taken them off, and now I fear it’ll be a jinx if I do,” a reference to Derek’s health at the time.
Kate’s grief
Derek tragically passed away on January 3, 2024. Kate shared the heartbreaking news on Instagram, writing: “I’m sad to have to tell you all that my darling husband Derek has passed away.
“As some of you may know, he had been critically ill after a cardiac arrest in early December, which, due to the lasting damage caused by Covid in March 2020, led to further complications. Derek was surrounded by his family in his final days, and I was by his side, holding his hand throughout the last long hours and when he passed.”
She ended her emotional tribute by saying, “Sending so much love and thanks to all of you who have so generously given our family so much support. Rest gently and peacefully now, Derek, my love. I was so lucky to have you in my life.”
In her latest reflection, Kate shared, “Derek would want me to be grabbing life,” which means saying “Yes” to new opportunities.
She explained, “Life has been so structured for the past five years, taking care of Derek. Now, I’m thinking: ‘I don’t know what’s next, but rather than be terrified, I’m going to try to enjoy it.'”
Kate added, “And see what comes along, workwise. Say yes to things I probably never would have done – and probably never should have done.”