Derek Draper funeral: Kate Garraway leads procession for husband with Tony Blair and Elton John in attendance
Tony Blair and Elton John joined other famous mourners at the funeral of Derek Draper, the husband of television presenter Kate Garraway, in London today.
Draper, a former political adviser and psychotherapist, died last month.
Derek Draper in 2009. Pic: PA
He was said to be one of the UK’s longest-suffering COVID patients after catching the disease in March 2020 and spending 13 months in hospital.
Garraway followed behind the coffin while the procession walked to the Church of St Mary the Virgin in Primrose Hill – where the Good Morning Britain presenter and Draper married in September 2005.
Kate Garraway at the funeral service for her husband, Derek Draper. Pic: PA
Kate Garraway and Derek Draper in 2006. Pic: David Fisher/Shutterstock
Before laying her husband to rest, she greeted attendees including Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish.
Sir Elton John and David Furnish arriving at the funeral. Pic: PA
Former prime minister Tony Blair and other Labour contemporaries Alastair Campbell, Lord Peter Mandelson, Ed Balls and Tristram Hunt were also seen entering the church in north London for Draper’s service.
Former prime minister Tony Blair and his wife Cherie Blair. Pic: PA
Alastair Campbell. Pic: PA
Lord Peter Mandelson. Pic: PA
Sir Keir Starmer also attended, as did Garraway’s presenting partners, Susanna Reid and Ben Shephard.
Sir Keir Starmer. Pic: PA
Susanna Reid. Pic: PA
Ben Shephard. Pic: PA
Myleene Klass, famous for being in the group Hear’Say and who has previously stepped in to host Garraway’s Smooth Radio show while Draper was ill, was also pictured leaving the funeral.
Myleene Klass. Pic: PA
Garraway and Draper have two children together – Darcey and Billy – and celebrated their 18th wedding anniversary in September. The presenter previously said on Instagram that she was “so glad” he survived to see it.
A prominent figure in New Labour in the 1990s, Draper worked for Lord Mandelson and set up the Progress organisation with Liam Byrne, who went on to become an MP.
Kate Garraway with Derek Draper in 2007. Pic: Alan Davidson/Shutterstock
After becoming embroiled in the “cash-for-access” scandal in 1998 – also known as “lobbygate” – Draper travelled to the US and retrained as a psychotherapist.
He launched LabourList, a news website supportive of the Labour Party, in January 2009 and later published a self-help book, Life Support: A Survival Guide for the Modern Soul. He also ran a small psychotherapy practice in Bloomsbury.
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Kate Garraway with Derek Draper and her parents, Gordon and Marilyn Garraway, after being made an MBE. Pic: PA
After being diagnosed with coronavirus at the start of the pandemic, Draper was left with extensive damage to his organs and needed daily care.
He was admitted to hospital in December last year when he had a heart attack. Draper died on 3 January.
Garraway announced her husband’s death on Instagram on 5 January, saying: “As some of you may know he has been critically ill following a cardiac arrest in early December which, because of the damage inflicted 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.”
GB News could face punishment after a programme with Rishi Sunak broke broadcasting rules.
Regulator Ofcom said it was considering a “statutory sanction” after finding ‘People’s Forum: The Prime Minister’ breached impartiality guidelines.
GB News called it “an alarming development” that “strikes at the heart of democracy”.
The hour-long show, which aired on 12 February, saw members of the public put questions to the prime minister. However, it received 547 complaints.
Ofcom said in March that five other GB News programmes featuring politicians acting as presenters – including two hosted by Jacob Rees-Mogg – also broke impartiality rules.
The watchdog said the show featuring Mr Sunak was fine in principle, but “due weight” should have been given to an “appropriately wide range of significant views” other than the Tories’.
These should have happened during the programme itself or “in other clearly linked and timely programmes”.
It said Mr Sunak “had a mostly uncontested platform to promote the policies and performance of his Government in a period preceding a UK General Election”.
“We have therefore recorded a breach of rules 5.11 and 5.12 of the Broadcasting Code against GB News,” it added.
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The channel was quick to hit back at the ruling and denied breaking the impartiality rules.
“The regulator’s threat to punish a news organisation with sanctions for enabling people to challenge their own prime minister strikes at the heart of democracy at a time when it could not be more vital,” it said.
“Our live programme gave an independently selected group of undecided voters the freedom to challenge the Prime Minister without interference,” added the channel.
It said neither producers nor the prime minister had seen the questions beforehand and Mr Sunak was kept “under constant pressure and covered a clearly diverse range of topics”.
Entertainment
P Diddy: Rapper Sean Combs says video of him assaulting singer Cassie is ‘inexcusable’
Sean “Diddy” Combs has said CCTV footage showing him attacking singer Cassie in a hotel hallway in 2016 is “inexcusable” and that he is “disgusted”.
Warning: This story includes images readers may find distressing
“It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that,” the rapper said in a video on Instagram.
“I was f***** up – I mean I hit rock bottom – but l make no excuses. My behaviour on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now.
“I went and I sought out professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry. But I’m committed to be a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry.”
Pic: CNN via AP
Pic: CNN via AP
The 54-year-old, whose homes in Los Angeles and Miami were raided by Homeland Security Investigations agents in March, has faced a series of public allegations of physical and sexual violence.
Footage obtained by CNN this week shows Combs – also known as P Diddy and Puff Daddy – wearing only a white towel as he punches and kicks Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway on 5 March 2016.
The footage also shows Combs shoving and dragging Cassie and throwing a vase in her direction.
Pic: CNN via AP
Cassie, an R&B singer whose legal name is Cassandra Ventura, was his protege and girlfriend at the time.
The 37-year-old sued Combs in November with the lawsuit accusing him of rape and violent behaviour during their decade-long relationship.
The suit was settled the next day, but it lead to intense scrutiny of Combs, who has since been named as a defendant in several sexual abuse lawsuits, along with a federal criminal sex-trafficking investigation that led authorities to the raid in March.
Sean Combs and Cassie in 2017. Pic: PA
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Diddy’s homes raided
He denied the allegations in the lawsuits, but neither he nor his representatives had responded to the newly emerged video until Sunday.
After the footage emerged, Douglas H Wigdor, lawyer for Ms Ventura, said in a statement in response: “The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behaviour of Mr Combs.
“Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light.”
Combs’ Instagram apology is the hip-hop mogul’s most direct response after six months of allegations that have threatened his reputation and career.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs. Pic: AP
Previous statements have been released through his lawyers.
The security camera video, dated 5 March 2016, closely resembles the description of an incident at an InterContinental Hotel in the Century City area of Los Angeles described in Ms Ventura’s November lawsuit.
The suit alleges that Combs paid the hotel $50,000 (around £39,000) for the security video immediately after the incident.
Neither he or his representatives have addressed that specific allegation.
CNN did not say how it obtained the footage.
Combs is not in danger of being criminally prosecuted for the beating.
The statutes of limitations for the assault and battery charges he would be likely to face expired years ago.
Entertainment
Strictly Come Dancing star Giovanni Pernice denies claims of ‘abusive or threatening behaviour’ on show
Strictly Come Dancing star Giovanni Pernice has rejected allegations that he displayed “abusive or threatening behaviour” while working as a professional dancer on the show.
The 33-year-old Italian dancer said he was “surprised” amid reports the BBC is looking into complaints about his conduct.
A legal firm acting on behalf of the complainants said the broadcaster is “evidence gathering” – but the BBC has not confirmed that any probe has been launched.
In the statement shared on Instagram, Pernice wrote: “To my dear fans, you will be as surprised as I am that allegations have been made about my dance teaching methods in the media this week.
“Of course, I reject any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour, and I look forward to clearing my name.”
He added: “Those who have followed my journey on Strictly Come Dancing over the last decade will know that I am passionate and competitive.
“No one is more ambitious for my dance partners than me.
“I have always striven to help them be the very best dancers they can be.
“This has always come from a place of love and wanting to win – for me and my dance partners.”
Pernice signed off the message by writing: “Thank you all once again for your continued love and support! Giovanni.”
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A statement from law firm Carter-Ruck to the PA news agency said: “There have been numerous serious complaints made to the BBC who are now in the process of evidence gathering.
“As it is still an ongoing matter no further comment can be made at this stage.”
The Sun, which first reported suggestions that an investigation was underway, also claimed Pernice had quit the show.
Neither the BBC nor Pernice has confirmed his departure.
Sicily-born Pernice has been on the BBC One celebrity dancing show since 2015.
In 2021, he lifted the Strictly glitterball trophy for the first time alongside EastEnders star Rose Ayling-Ellis, who was the first deaf contestant to win. He had appeared in three show finals previously.
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He also holds the Guinness World Record for most jive kick and flicks in 30 seconds, which he achieved on the BBC’s Strictly It Takes Two show in 2016.
The BBC was approached by Sky News but declined to comment.
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