Author Michael Rosen has shut down claims that Kate Garraway‘s husband Derek Draper died after receiving the Covid vaccine, as he recalled being on the same ward as the late former lobbyist. Good Morning Britain presenter Kate announced on Friday that her long-term spouse had died while she was by his side during his final hours.

The 56-year-old added as part of her lengthy statement shared on social media: “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.”

Michael, 77, who was in intensive care for seven weeks alongside Derek, has hit out about the conspiracy around Kate’s husband’s death cause, writing on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Anti-vax people are trying to blame Derek Draper’s sad death on vaccines. DD got ill at the same time as me and was in the same intensive care ward as me. It was all before the Covid vaccine was invented: March 2020.”

In a statement shared exclusively to Express.co.uk, the author said: “I was extremely sorry to hear that Derek Draper had died and send heartfelt best wishes to Kate and the whole family. I felt linked to what Derek and Kate were going through because Derek and I shared the same intensive care unit.

“I think Kate had done a brave and important thing to have shown us what happened as it shines a light on the kinds of things that have happened to thousands of others across the country.” Michael was placed in intensive care for seven weeks after the disease ravaged his body and left him in a coma.

After miraculously pulling through, he was then faced with the challenge of having to learn to walk again.

In an update about his health, the author said he is now “mostly fine” but has long-lasting damage such as little sight in his left eye, a lack of hearing in his left ear as well as barely having any feeling left in his toes.

Back in 2021, Kate was left speechless during Good Morning Britain after realising, just moments before she was due to interview Michael, that he and Derek had shared the same ward.

While a guest on the ITV show, he explained: “We were several beds from each other in the intensive care ward. That’s what I’ve been told.

“Not very knowing of each other, we didn’t strike up a friendship as you can imagine.”

The presenter replied: “No you weren’t speaking or moving at that point.

“It’s a lovely comfort to me that you were next to Derek even though you couldn’t speak to each other and we’ll talk more about that.”

Michael was on the show at the time to promote his book Sticky McStickstick: The Friend Who Helped Me Walk Again, which tells the story of his recovery.

The author dedicated the book to his family and “all the doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and hospital workers who saved my life”.

Michael has since written his latest book Getting Better, based on “life lessons on going under, getting over it and getting through it”, released next month.