Kate Garraway has said the debts she faces as a result of paying for her late husband’s care left her at “a crunch point”.
The Good Morning Britain presenter’s late husband, Derek Draper, faced a number of life-altering health issues after contracting Covid in the early stages of the pandemic back in March 2020.
While Derek was ill, Kate spoke candidly about his condition and its effect on her family life, most notably in two documentaries, Finding Derek and Caring For Derek.
Before the former political analyst’s death in January, Kate recorded a third documentary in the series, titled Derek’s Story, which airs on ITV1 on Tuesday night.
In a clip, Kate was heard opening up about the realities of paying for her husband’s care, stating: “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.”
Kate previously said her debts amounted to around £800,000.
She added that while her job on ITV’s breakfast show was “well-paid” and something she “loves”, it was still “not enough” to help fund Derek’s care.
A preview clip also showed Derek speaking on camera for the first time since his illness, telling viewers: “I want you to hear my story... I want to be heard.”
Derek died in January 2024 at the age of 55, with Kate saying at the time: “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.
“I have so much more to say, and of course I will do so in due course, but for now I just want to thank all the medical teams who fought so hard to save him and to make his final moments as comfortable and dignified as possible.”