Kate Garraway and Derek's love story - brutal snub, health woes and spooky Strictly sign

dailystar.co.uk:

Kate Garraway, 54 and husband Derek Draper, 54 are celebrating their 16th wedding anniversary today despite having a difficult two years.

The pair prepared to renew their vows for their 15th wedding anniversary during 2020 but their plans were put on hold when Derek became seriously ill, which nearly proved fatal.Derek contracted coronavirus in March 2020 and was seriously ill for months, being put into a coma and still not having fully recovered.He battled bacterial pneumonia and fought multiple infections.Derek is now considered to be the longest surviving Covid patient in the country.Here is a journey through the couple's relationship together:Kate and Derek first met in 2004 where they had been introduced by a mutual friend, former GMTV political editor Gloria De Piero.However, Kate admitted that it took her a while for an attraction to form between the pair.She had divorced from her first husband, Ian Rumsey in 2002 after having married in 1998.Derek arranged to meet Kate in Claridge's whilst she was with her friends and she has previously said that she acted 'cool' by ignoring him.However, this didn't put him off as he asked her out on another date but he had to ring and cancel on the day because he'd originally arranged to serve wine at an amateur watercolour painting class at his church, which Kate didn't believe at first.But Kate made sure he was telling the truth by turning up to the painting class herself.After this the pair soon went from strength to strength.Just 12 months after first meeting they took their relationship to the next level by tying the knot in front of close friends and family in an intimate ceremony.Little did Kate know, Derek had been having dancing lessons from ex-Strictly Come Dancing pro.