Kate Garraway has shared that she’s cried a lot over the past few years, following the passing of her husband, Derek Draper. She views appearing on Celebrity Traitors as an opportunity to enjoy herself.
The broadcaster’s husband, Derek, courageously battled Covid for four years before sadly dying at the age of 56 in January of last year.
The 58-year-old presenter is getting ready for what comes next, following a difficult few years. She describes the period as ‘serious’.
Kate explained that she decided to join the next season of Celebrity Traitors because she felt she needed to prioritize having some fun. She said it was important for her to take time to enjoy herself. More details are available here.
She explained that the past five years have been incredibly difficult, filled with serious challenges and even life-threatening situations. She admitted to a lot of tears shed over everything the family has endured, emphasizing how serious it all has been.
This feels like a great opportunity to have some fun and be a bit playful while competing in what I truly think is the best game show on television.
Kate has publicly shared that she was left with debts ranging from £500,000 to £800,000 following the care of her late husband.
In addition to dealing with the debts from his £16,000 monthly care expenses, a recent report from a liquidator has also uncovered significant unpaid taxes owed by Derek’s former therapy practice, Astra Aspera.
The company, co-owned by Kate, failed financially and owed a significant amount of money – hundreds of thousands of pounds – to those it owed money to, known as HMRC and other creditors. This included a substantial bill to HMRC.
Kate is currently focused on publicizing her different job projects while also facing mounting debts, but this isn’t the first time the broadcaster has struggled with money problems.
In 2012, two other firms jointly controlled by Derek and Kate went bust.
Fulfill Media Ltd had total debts of £922,807. This amount included £88,486 owed to HMRC, £90,882 to its suppliers (trade creditors), and £462,808 in loans from other sources (‘third party loans’).
Meanwhile, Countrymouse Media Ltd. went into liquidation with debts totaling £189,121. This included £98,944 owed to HMRC and £48,000 relating to an overdrawn loan account for the directors. Both Derek and Kate were personally owed £24,000 each by the company. It’s important to note that this is separate from the company’s debts.
Reports surfaced in January 2024 suggesting Kate might need to sell her house to cover outstanding debts. According to one source: ‘Caring for Derek and doing everything possible to help him recover has cost hundreds of thousands of pounds, and it’s now left her in a difficult financial situation.‘
But hard-working Kate has been on a self-promotion blitz amid her latest financial woes.
In addition to her usual appearances on GMB, the presenter promoted her show on Smooth Radio this week. She shared her excitement, saying she was ‘chuffed’ that the midday program now has 2.8 million listeners.
In February, she also landed the role of host for a new podcast and YouTube series called DXB Unheard, which is based in Dubai.
Each of the eight episodes, released every week, showcases interviews with Emiratis and people living in Dubai who have significantly impacted the city.
She filmed the series last year and has said it was ‘interesting’ to discover how people lived while she was figuring out her own future.
Kate has shared before that the £16,000 monthly expenses for Derek’s care were higher than her income from GMB. In a 2023 interview, she confessed she couldn’t even afford to turn the heating on during October.
Before her husband Derek passed away, Kate shared that his care expenses exceeded her earnings from ITV. She explained that this was *before* accounting for their mortgage, household bills, or anything for their children, putting them in a very difficult financial situation – a real crunch point.
I’m currently dealing with debt. It’s difficult to make enough money to pay it off, as I’m responsible for caring for Derek. Even the money I *do* have isn’t available to help with Derek’s recovery – it all goes towards essential living expenses.
After revealing survey results showing that 20% of people in the UK are taking on debt to pay for private medical treatment, she confessed: ‘I am doing something similar myself.‘
I had to take a tax-free portion from my pension to cover overdue bills after my husband passed away. I needed to use those funds to settle his final expenses.
Individuals are being forced to make choices – their pension wasn’t substantial to begin with – that aren’t aligned with their original retirement plans.
You can start watching The Celebrity Traitors on Wednesday, October 8th at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer. New episodes will air twice a week, on both Wednesdays and Thursdays.
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2025-10-05 14:20