Kate Garraway weighs dating after Derek Draper’s death as financial strains surface

Kate Garraway has opened up about whether she would pursue romance again after the death of her husband, Derek Draper, who died following a four-year battle with Covid. Garraway, who has spoken publicly about the emotional impact of Derek’s illness and passing, said she is not sure she is ready to date again nearly two years after his death. She described the home life she shared with Derek for 21 years and said she remains emotionally in that period, adding that when the time is right she will have to consider the future, including the possibility of meeting someone new.

She has also faced mounting financial pressures tied to her business ventures. Garraway is listed as the sole director of Praespero 100 Ltd, a company established in 2021 to manage her media earnings. Accounts filed at Companies House show the company posted losses of £288,122 in 2024, following £165,011 in losses in 2023 and a £36,888 surplus in 2022. The firm is described as operating in radio broadcasting, television programming and broadcasting activities, and management consultancy other than financial management. The latest filings come amid broader financial strain linked to Garraway’s work with her late husband’s ventures.

A separate liquidator’s report on Astra Aspera Ltd, a psychotherapy business formerly run with Derek Draper, shows ongoing debts and repayments tied to Garraway’s operations. The paper trail indicates HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has submitted a new preferential claim of £288,054, down from £716,822 in a previous filing. The director’s loan account was overdrawn by £139,849, and the liquidator noted £21,000 had been received during the current reporting period as part of recovery efforts. While the HMRC claim is still substantial, the report does not explain why the demand dropped, and creditors’ totals include £196,548 from four other firms, plus a £50,000 bank loan.

Taken together, the documents suggest limited prospects for creditor payouts under the current liquidation scenario. Garraway, who has publicly discussed the financial and emotional toll of caring for Derek, has faced a multi-front challenge: maintaining her media presence while navigating business losses and debts tied to two companies connected to her and her late husband. The public record includes two older entities controlled by Garraway and Draper that were wound up in 2012—Fulfill Media Ltd and Countrymouse Media Ltd—both carrying substantial liabilities at the time. Fulfill Media Ltd alone carried debts nearing £923,000, including HMRC arrears and other creditors, while Countrymouse Media Ltd showed liabilities of £189,121. Personal claims of £24,000 remained outstanding from the couple to those entities.

Daily Mail reporters reached out to Garraway’s representatives for comment on the matters described above. Her public remarks about dating come in the context of a personal life that has been deeply touched by loss, alongside business challenges that have unfolded across several years and are only now reflecting in formal filings. Garraway’s case underscores the broader pressures faced by public figures who balance a demanding media schedule with complex financial affairs arising from long-term caregiving, high-profile projects, and the responsibility of overseeing closely watched businesses.