Kate Garraway has been left facing a cruel backlash sparked by her new romance with financial journalist Liam Halligan, just two-and-a-half years after losing her husband Derek Draper.
The Good Morning Britain presenter, 59, recently went public with Halligan, 57, who she began dating earlier this year. But many have hit out at Kate on social media, prompting a source to tell new magazine: "The negative comments are so upsetting for Kate. She went through such heartbreak with Derek, and now she’s seeing someone who is really supportive and kind to her. She just wanted people to be pleased for her – and she thinks she deserves some happiness at long last."
Abuse After Hard-Launch
The abuse came to light after Kate hard-launched her budding romance by sharing a photo of them at a mutual friend’s birthday party last week. The pair have known each other for more than 20 years, but some have questioned Kate’s motives for getting back into the dating world so soon after Derek’s death in January 2024 at age 56, following a prolonged battle with Covid.
Among the vile comments, one said, "Guess she needs the cash again since she’s run out of things to say about her late hubby." Another critic said she had "milked" Derek’s illness in a series of ITV documentaries, and that she was "now milking the new bloke." A third hit out, "At least we know what her next self-obsessed documentary will be about. How much attention can one woman need for goodness sake?"
Source: Kate Doesn't Get the Hostility
Speaking of the impact of the trolling, the source adds, "Kate tries not to read such horrible comments, but she just doesn’t get the hostility. She hasn’t tried to hide her relationship with Liam, and though it’s still early days everyone close to her thinks she is due a happy ending. She’s so upset that some people can’t let her enjoy something good and positive in her life."
Thankfully for the presenter, who hosts a mid-morning show on Smooth Radio, others have slammed the abuse and given her new romance a thumbs-up. One supporter hit back, "She doesn’t deserve this. She has been through everybody’s nightmare – I’m glad she has a new man." Another who leapt to her defence said, "Give the poor woman a break. She’s been through enough. She stood by her husband who she watched slowly die over years and battled the financial cost of keeping him alive. I think she deserves to live her life fully." A third person suggested that Derek would "always be with her and he would tell her to be happy".
Kate Confirms Relationship
Confirming she was dating Liam while at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May, Kate told reporters, "It’s lovely. We basically haven’t really had time for a proper date." She then joked that Liam was keen to go out more often too. "He says to me, ‘Now we’re in the papers, is there a chance we can actually have some dates?’" At the TRIC Awards in June, Kate then said, "It’s early days, but it has been a great year."
In May, the mum-of-two was snapped with Liam in Paris, after he took part in a 300km tandem bike ride to the French capital. They also took a trip to Italy recently. In the spring, Liam told Talk TV, "I’ve known Kate for years and we’ve recently become close. We laugh a lot and really enjoy each other’s company." He added, "In recent years for different reasons, we have both become single, against our wishes, so, in recent weeks and months, Kate and I have become good friends. This may or may not turn into something long-term but there is a definite spark between us – and we’re both excited to see what happens."
Liam's Article
Liam, who was a friend of Derek, wrote an article in The Spectator recently, titled, ‘The truth about Kate Garraway and me.’ In it, he told how he was "flabbergasted" to see himself in showbiz news, adding, "Kate Garraway and I are from different parts of the media but have much in common – not least a shared sense of humour."
Derek's Battle
Kate’s late husband, political adviser Derek, was rushed to hospital with Covid in March 2020. He was placed in an induced coma, and after 13 months became the nation’s longest-suffering Covid patient still in hospital. Despite the unyielding care from Kate and their children Darcey, now 20, and Billy, 17, Derek never fully recovered and died of a heart attack in January 2024. "I’m sad to have to tell you all that my darling husband Derek has passed away," Kate said at the time. "I was by his side holding his hand throughout the last long hours and when he passed." She added, "Rest gently and peacefully now Derek, my love, I was so lucky to have you in my life."
