Kate Garraway has been pictured with her new partner, broadcaster Liam Halligan, as she finds love again two years after the death of her husband Derek Draper. The Good Morning Britain host, 59, has grown close to her long-term friend Liam, 56, following the tragic passing of Derek in January 2024.
Supporting Liam's Charity Challenge
In a photo shared on social media on Friday, Kate was seen supporting Liam and his cycling partner Serge Kogan as they prepare for a gruelling 300km bike ride from London to Paris. The trio posed in front of a backdrop for the Duchenne Dash, which raises funds for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) — a condition Liam was diagnosed with as a child.
Romance Blossoms After Tragedy
Derek Draper died in January 2024 after a prolonged health battle that began when he contracted Covid-19 in 2020. He suffered a fatal cardiac arrest after being bed-bound for four years. Kate and their children, Darcey, 20, and Billie, 16, were left devastated. However, Kate has found a glimmer of hope with Liam, former GB News economics and business editor.
Liam has three children from his former relationship with BBC journalist Lucy Ward. A source told Mail Online: "It's all very complicated, as you can imagine, for Kate who lost Derek not that long ago. She never thought she would be able to move on. But now she can see something. She is being calm but she does hope that she might be skipping down the road holding his hand at some point in the near future."
Kate's Readiness for Romance
In December last year, Kate admitted on Jamie Laing's Good Company podcast that she was open to finding love again. "I wouldn't like to think that I'd never had romantic love in my life again. I think that would be rather a sad way to go through life, wouldn't it?" she said. She joked about finding single dads but ruled out dating apps, preferring to meet people through life experiences.
Speaking to Mark Dolan on TalkTV, Liam confirmed their friendship, saying: "It's early days, we'll see what happens." He added that he has known Kate for a long time and also knew Derek. Explaining how romance blossomed, he said: "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. We were reintroduced. Kate and a lot of friends came to see my band, The Hooligans. It turns out some of my neighbours were excited that she was in the pub and posted some pictures."
