Strictly Come Dancing’s Annabel Croft has offered her support to Good Morning Britain’s Kate Garraway, following the loss of her husband Derek Draper.
Derek died last month at the age of 56 after he became “critically ill” following a cardiac arrest in December, but due to long-term damage from Covid, this led to "further complications".
Annabel said Kate has been “going through [grief] for a long time” and “it's a very different [scenario to mine], but I can imagine how she’s feeling.”
The tennis star sadly lost her husband Mel in May last year after he initially complained of “pains in his side” but scans revealed his colon cancer had spread “everywhere” in his body.
“Grief is horrendous and I take every day as it comes," Annabel told Women & Home.
She said: “I try to fill the day with nice things, but when I’m on my own at home, if I start looking at pictures, I start sobbing. I have three piles of unopened letters [from well- wishers] and feel awful because people have been so kind to take the time to write, but every time I start to read them, I can’t stop crying.
"I'm too emotional and too raw at the moment. Christmas and New Year were really hard. There were a lot of tears because they’re such big markers, and because we had such a normal Christmas and New Year the previous year."
Recommended reading:
- Why GMB's Ben Shephard says leaving Kate Garraway was 'hardest decision'
- Who was Strictly Come Dancing star Annabel Croft's late husband Mel Coleman?
- Susanna Reid close to tears as she reads Kate Garraway's tribute to Derek Draper
Annabel Croft says Strictly and Johannes Radebe was her ‘therapy’
Annabel made it to the semi-finals of Strictly with professional dance partner Johannes Radebe in December 2023.
Speaking about her dazzling journey on the dancefloor, the TV presenter revealed the BBC series was her “therapy”.
After working with psychologist and grief therapist, Julia Samuel, Annabel explained to the magazine: "[Julia] said, 'You do realise that dance is one of the best things for grief?' I didn’t know that, but I can see that now, having done it.”
"You’re distracting your brain, so you’re not wallowing and sobbing all day. It doesn’t stop [grief] completely and there were times when Johannes had to cope with that."
Annabel's full interview with Woman & Home will be available in the April issue and will be on shelves from March 1.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel