Kate Garraway has admitted she has ‘done a lot of crying’ in the last few years after the death of her husband Derek Draper and sees Celebrity Traitors as a chance to have fun. 

The broadcaster’s husband Derek fought a brave four-year battle against Covid before tragically passing away aged 56 in January last year.

Now, the 58-year-old broadcaster is preparing for her next challenge after having a ‘serious’ few years.

Discussing her reasons for taking part in the upcoming series of Celebrity Traitors, Kate said she needed to take some time to have fun.

She said: ‘I’ve been through so many challenges over the last five years, I’ve faced a lot of actual life and death moments, and I’ve done a lot of crying over all that’s happened to our family. It’s all been so serious.

‘So, this feels like a chance to have fun and make a little mischief playing in what I genuinely believe is the best game on TV.’

Kate Garraway has admitted she has ‘done a lot of crying’ in the last few years after the death of her husband Derek Draper and sees Celebrity Traitors as a chance to have fun

The broadcaster’s husband Derek fought a brave four-year battle against Covid before tragically passing away aged 56 in January last year

Kate has been open about how she was left with debts between £500,000 and £800,000 after caring for her late husband.

As well as tackling debts related to the £16,000 a month costs for his care, another liquidator’s report has revealed the large tax costs that are yet to be paid by Derek’s now-defunct psychotherapeutic company Astra Aspera.

The company, which was jointly controlled by Kate, went bust owing hundreds of thousands of pounds to creditors, including a large bill to HMRC.

Kate has been busy promoting her various work projects as her debts loom over her but it’s not the first time the broadcaster has had to deal with financial woes.

In 2012, two other firms jointly controlled by Derek and Kate went bust.

Fulfill Media Ltd had debts totalling £922,807, which included £88,486 owed to HMRC, £90,882 to trade creditors, and £462,808 in ‘third party loans’.

At the same time, Countrymouse Media Ltd, was liquidated owing £189,121, which included £98,944 to the taxman and £48,000 on an overdrawn directors loan account. Derek and Kate were both personally owed £24,000 each by the business.

In January 2024, it was reported that Kate may have to sell the home to repay her current debts with one source saying: ‘It has cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to look after Derek and do everything she could to get him better but it’s left her struggling.’

Discussing her reasons for taking part in the upcoming series of Celebrity Traitors, Kate said she needed to take some time to have fun (Kate pictured on the series)

Kate has been open about how she was left with debts between £500,000 and £800,000 after caring for her late husband

But hard-working Kate has been on a self-promotion blitz amid her latest financial woes.

Alongside her regular GMB work, the star plugged her Smooth Radio show this week, revealing she was ‘chuffed’ that the lunchtime show now reached 2.8million listeners.

Meanwhile, in February she was announced as the host of a new Dubai-set podcast and YouTube series – DXB Unheard.

Each of the eight episodes, which are released weekly, feature interviews with Emiratis and Dubai residents ‘who have left an indelible mark on the city.’

She filmed the series last year and has admitted that she found it ‘interesting’ to learn about how people lived their lives at a time when she was contemplating her future plans.

Kate previously revealed that Derek’s £16,000-a-month care costs eclipsed her GMB salary, admitting in a 2023 interview that she couldn’t even afford to have the heating on in October.

Speaking before her husband’s death, Kate said: ‘Derek’s care costs more than my salary from ITV and that is before you pay for a mortgage, before you pay any household bills, before you pay for anything for the kids, so we are at a crunch point.

‘I am in debt. I can’t earn enough money to cover my debt because I am managing Derek’s care and I can’t even use the money I do have to support Derek’s recovery, because it’s going on the basics all the time.’

Sharing the results of a survey that revealed one in five Brits are getting themselves into debt while funding private medical care, she admitted: ‘I am doing something similar myself.

‘I have had to withdraw the bit you can tax free from my pension to pay for belated bills for my husband, who has now passed away.

‘People are having to do things – it wasn’t a huge pension in the first place – which aren’t what they saved for.’