GMB viewers irked as Richard Madeley interrupts Kate Garraway during moving Derek Draper interview
Good Morning Britain host Richard Madeley admitted to interrupting Kate Garraway while she was discussing the death of her husband Derek Draper.
Garraway, who is one of the ITV show’s rotating hosts, appeared via video link on Monday (5 February) for her first televised interview since Draper’s funeral, which took place on Friday (2 February).
On 5 January, Garraway announced that “my darling husband” had died after a heartbreaking battle with long Covid. The broadcaster had spent the last four years caring for Draper, and thanked her fans for their unwavering support while sharing updates on family life in the wake of the political lobbyist’s death.
Discussing her grief on GMB, Garraway told hosts Madeley and Susanna Reid at one stage of the interview: “Those who will be facing the worst today. I am thinking of them really because I know how they feel.”
However, Madeley interjected: “Kate, I wanted...” to which Garraway replied: “Sorry, I interrupted you.” Madeley, realising it was him who had interrupted Garraway, smiled and said: “No, I interrupted you – on a live link.”
Madeley’s interruption might have been well meaning in this instance, with the broadcaster going on to commend Garraway for her strength over the past four years. But it irked many viewers, who expressed their frustration on social media. Madeley is regularly criticised for interrupting his guests when they’re trying to answer questions.
“Richard Madeley there, showing his usual sensitivity and interrupting a guest on an emotional subject,” one viewer wrote, with another calling the host’s interruption “unbearable”. “
“Once again Richard keeps interrupting. Let Kate talk,” an additional viewer stated.
Reflecting on her final moments with her husband, Garraway said in the moving interview: “The children individually had time with Derek on their own as well as all of us together. Darcey said ‘Dad, if you can’t do this, then we will be OK. You release yourself if you need to go, don’t worry about us.’”
Garraway added that her children were “extraordinarily brave” on the day of Draper’s death.
Elsewhere in the interview, Garraway shared the final words her 17-year-old daughter Darcey told her father.
“We will be OK. Don’t worry about mum. We will be fine. You don’t have to worry about looking after us all. You will live on through us,” said Garraway, recalling Darcey’s words.
The TV presenter also revealed that her daughter “insisted” on carrying her father’s coffin at the funeral.
“Darcey came into the room when we were talking about [the funeral] and said ‘please can you let me carry the coffin?’ and I said crikey, that’s a practical challenge…. Anyone who’s ever done that, it’s a heavy thing....She basically insisted on doing it and I thought that was a beautiful thing.”
