Kate Garraway has been left ‘shocked’ as she’s been told that she still has to pay her late husband Derek Draper’s debts, which amount to nearly £140,000

Kate Garraway accepts the Authored Documentary for “Derek’s Story” at the NTAs 2024 in September 2024(Image: Lia Toby/Getty Images for the NTA’s)

Good Morning Britain presenter Kate Garraway has found herself “shocked” to discover she’s still deeply in debt following an HMRC update indicating nearly £140,000 in loan debts from her late husband’s firm as well as a sizable tax bill of £288,000.

Documents released this week have drawn attention to the ongoing debts of Derek’s company Astra Aspera, with accounts showing significant sums that Kate is facing pressure to settle.

Although the business has received £37,000 in royalties, there’s still an outstanding loan of £139,849 and a hefty tax demand from HMRC amounting to £288,000.

With no further assets in the company and the pursuit of these monies by HMRC continuing, it’s understood that Kate currently does not have the funds to clear the debts.

Efforts have been made by Kate to address the financial situation, with insiders emphasising that these debts arose from Derek’s enterprise amid the challenges of his care and lost income, reports the Mirror.

Derek died in January 2024 at the age of 56 after a lengthy battle with the long-term effects of Covid(Image: Mirrorpix/Daily Mirror)

Derek passed away in January 2024 at 56 years old after struggling with long-term effects of Covid.

In response, a representative for Kate declared: “‘Kate has met all that the liquidators of Derek’s company have asked for and more over the past four years.

“She doesn’t recognise these figures and is shocked that’s it’s being presented in this way by them. Caring for Derek and supporting her family when Derek could no longer run his own businesses has taken a huge financial toll on her but she’s determined to put things right.

“She is in constant contact with HMRC to make sure she honours what’s required from Derek’s now defunct company.”

Kate hasn’t hidden the financial impact of caring for Derek, being candid about her struggles along the way.

Kate Garraway attends the funeral of Derek Draper at St Mary the Virgin Church, on February 02, 2024 in London(Image: 2024 Karwai Tang)

Astra Aspera Ltd, which Derek established in 2021, was liquidated in March 2022, owing £716,822 to HMRC and £196,548 to four other creditors. Since then, Kate has repaid some of the money but hasn’t been able to settle all the debts.

Before her husband’s death, Kate revealed in the ITV documentary, Kate Garraway: Derek’s Story: “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.”

It comes a month after Kate Garraway opened up during an episode of ITV’s Lorraine, sharing a poignant memory with viewers of Derek when they were preparing for their marriage.

She told the audience that they visited John Lewis to compile their wedding list. It was then the question of what surname to use arose and “Derek burst into tears,” Kate disclosed.

“He was so happy. He was sobbing away, saying ‘I can’t believe you’d do that for me, it’s so wonderful’. I was like, ‘I’d absolutely love to, if you’re prepared to marry me, then of course I’ll take your name.’”

Despite this touching memory, Kate ultimately did not go through with changing her surname.