Full inside story of Kate Garraway’s budding new romance: Delighted friends reveal secrets of ‘complicated’ new relationship after she tragically lost husband Derek, ‘cosy’ dates… and how they just clicked. By KATIE HIND

When Kate Garraway arrives at ITV’s studios in the early hours of the morning for her presentation on Good Morning Britain, she’s often dazed and exhausted.

Sometimes of late, she is described as ‘chaotic’ by her adoring co-stars.

His punctuality is a joke. But after all, she’s a working single mother of two who was widowed when her husband Derek Draper died just two years ago, following a devastating four-year health battle that began when he contracted Covid in 2020.

And Kate’s busy schedule, juggling roles at GMB and Smooth FM radio while also being a devoted mother to daughter Darcey, 20, and son Billy, 16, has left her resigned to the fact that she will probably never find love again.

In fact, she has admitted to many of her friends and colleagues since Derek’s death in January 2024 that she doesn’t have time for dates. That’s what it looked like so far.

Because yesterday I revealed how Kate found happiness again after getting close to broadcast journalist Liam Halligan, 56, who has been Derek’s friend for more than 20 years.

Although Kate, 58, has yet to comment on a budding romance, it wasn’t just her beaming smile that hinted at her newfound contentment as she left Smooth radio’s headquarters in central London yesterday.

There was a copy of yesterday’s Daily Mail which I took out of her bag; In this newspaper, my showbiz exclusive front page revealed their close friendship.

Believe me, not many celebrities are this happy when their secret crushes are revealed, but I’m told Kate is thrilled to find Liam, who has been described as ‘quite attractive’ by former colleagues.

The TV presenter downplayed rumors of a full-blown affair when I approached her yesterday, but I could tell she was ‘very hopeful this would go somewhere’.

But Liam was much less reserved when he confirmed their union while appearing on Mark Dolan’s current affairs show on Talk TV yesterday.

When quizzed by Dolan about his private life, Liam admitted he was ‘good friends’ with Kate and added: ‘It’s early days, we’ll see what happens.’

He later clarified: ‘I’ve known him for a long time. I knew Derek, I was a political commentator. In recent years, we have both been single against our will for different reasons. So over the last weeks and months Kate and I have become good friends.’

The star’s friends are happy that he is turning to a new page, albeit cautiously.

One of them told me: ‘As you can imagine, everything is very complicated for Kate, who has recently lost Derek. He never thought he could go on.

‘But he can see things now. He acts calm but hopes that at some point in the near future he will be able to jump down the road holding her hand.

‘Without a wider friendship group, they spend lots and lots of time together, some of it alone.

‘Everything was kept pretty quiet. Liam has been around Kate’s friendship group, which also includes host Clare Nasir and others, for some time now.

‘But they are both independent and have created something truly special.’

Kate with her husband Derek Draper, who died in January 2024 after a devastating four-year health battle that began when he contracted Covid in 2020

Kate found happiness again after becoming close to broadcast journalist Liam Halligan, her late husband’s friend of more than 20 years

Their growing friendship went unnoticed, and some of their friends were stunned to read the news yesterday morning.

It is also thought that neither Kate’s children nor the parents of Liam’s three children with his former partner, journalist Lucy Ward, were aware of how close they had become. Of course, many of Kate’s colleagues at ITV called me yesterday in shock.

‘All Kate says is she’s very busy. [for romance]’ says a friend of mine. ‘It’s also very chaotic in a very endearing way. He’s the first person to admit it.

‘But with all that’s going on, it’s actually quite hard to believe in putting pressure on a boyfriend; Even for those who love Kate the most. But they are very excited. ‘This is very, very nice to see.’

Friends of the morning telly veteran revealed she spent the weekend with Liam in her hometown of Saffron Walden in Essex.

He was seen ‘chilling out’ with her at The Railway Arms pub, where he performed with his band The Hooligans, along with his two daughters Maeve and Ailis. ‘Everyone was having a great time, lots of singing and dancing,’ said one viewer.

As well as meeting a few of Liam’s friends, Kate also met his neighbors and is understood to have visited him on a number of occasions, sparking a lot of chatter among the locals.

So what convinced Liam Halligan’s Kate to get back into the dating game?

She is said to be of Irish descent and to be cheeky and talkative, just like Kate.

An award-winning journalist, Liam was previously economics and business editor at GB News and is currently a columnist for The Sunday Telegraph.

Kate with her 16-year-old son Billy and 20-year-old daughter Darcey. Neither Kate’s children nor Liam’s three children with former partner journalist Lucy Ward are thought to be aware of how close their parents have become.

He grew up modestly in Kingsbury, north-west London, where he attended the £30,000-a-year John Lyon School in Harrow on the Hill on a scholarship and became headmaster.

Liam was the first in his family to go to university; He graduated with first class honors in economics from the University of Warwick and gained an MPhil in economics from St Antony’s College, Oxford.

He split from his partner, journalist Lucy Ward. They have a son as well as two daughters and were considered Fleet Street’s ‘power couple’ in the 1990s, when he was working at the Telegraph and she at the Guardian.

‘Liam was once very, very handsome,’ says one. ‘He was charming and very flirtatious. ‘He’s got that Irish thing going on that a lot of women like.’

Which might help explain why another (slightly catty) former colleague told me that Liam was always ‘quite into himself’.

But today, those close to Kate say that Liam ‘makes Kate laugh’. A friend adds: ‘This is what he needs right now. They also have common tasks. Kate is a journalist and a very intelligent woman. They just kind of clicked. They’re both really talkative, they just talk and talk.’

It may ultimately lead to a happy ending for Kate. His friends certainly hope so and insist he deserves it.

When Derek caught Covid in March 2020, his world collapsed. A political lobbyist turned psychotherapist, he fell into a coma a month later and did not wake up until October of that year.

Although he was Covid-free in early June 2020, his body was severely damaged by the virus, leaving him bedridden.

After being hospitalized for over a year and still unable to regain his speech, Derek was allowed home on a trial basis in April 2021 and received 24-hour care and treatment from his wife and carers. His brave battle was the subject of an ITV documentary called Finding Derek.

In July 2022, Kate confirmed that she had been hospitalized again, and later that month it was reported that her condition had worsened. He was taken to hospital again in December for further treatment.

In early December 2023, he suffered a heart attack due to serious complications and long-term damage caused by Covid to his heart. Kate spent Christmas with him in hospital and died on January 3, 2024.

Following his death, Kate faced crippling debts thought to be between £500,000 and £800,000 and was forced to sell her second home, a £2 million townhouse in Islington, north London.

She and Derek were a much-loved couple in the broadcasting world after being introduced by former Labor MP Gloria De Piero, one of Kate’s best friends. They got married in September 2005 in front of the likes of Fiona Phillips, her husband Martin Frizell, and the decidedly professional dancer Brendan Cole.

A new relationship has been the last thing on Kate’s mind since Derek’s death, and while speaking on Jamie Laing’s Great Company podcast in December last year, she even questioned whether she would ever find love again.

‘I don’t want to think of never having experienced romantic love in my life again,’ she said. ‘I think that would be a pretty sad way to go about life, wouldn’t you say? But no, I’m not there yet. ‘I don’t know if anyone wants me.’ Meanwhile, a friend says: ‘We’ve been encouraging her to go out and date for a while.

‘Derek has been gone for over two years but his life was turned upside down the day Derek caught Covid. For almost four years, her life was spent caring for Derek, being a mother to teenage children, and worrying about money while working as hard as she could to make ends meet.

‘Anyone who knows Kate will hope that she and Liam will get along. ‘She’s still grieving and will always love Derek dearly, but she’s found some happiness now and long may it continue.’