Kate Garraway has candidly opened up about her personal finances following the huge costs of her late husband’s medical bills.
Derek Draper sadly passed away in January aged 56. The former political advisor suffered from serious health complications ever since contracting Covid-19 in 2020.
Kate supported him in every step of his battle, which saw her accumulate £800,000 of debt owing to his round-the-clock care. Earlier this year, Kate revealed the costs in providing care for her late husband left her unable to afford heating.
READ MORE: Kate Garraway told ‘shut up’ as GMB hit with ‘breaking news’ forcing her to apologise
READ MORE: Click for more brilliant Daily Star TV stories
During a documentary, Kate Garraway: Derek’s Story, Kate admitted she was in dire financial circumstances following Derek’s health issues. Kate shared how her ITV salary didn’t cover the huge bills from Derek’s medical care.
And on Monday (May 6) Kate admitted how she’s had to resort to withdrawing money for her pension to pay for the bills. The TV star was on hosting duties for GMB when she spoke to a woman who had to dip into her pension to pay for a hip operation due to NHS waiting lists.
Kate revealed: “I’m doing something similar myself. I’ve just had to withdraw a bit you can tax-free for my pension to pay for belated bills for my husband who passed away.
“People are having to do the things – not that it was a huge pension in the first place – people are having to do things which aren’t what they saved for. And some people don’t have any savings at all,” she added.
While speaking on her documentary Kate Garraway: Derek’s Story which was filmed for ITV in October 2023, Kate explained: “It’s the brutal reality that Derek’s salary is over and his expenses are up. We haven’t got the heating on anywhere but in his room. Everything is more expensive. I don’t know what to do.”
The production highlights Kate’s struggles both financially and emotionally with the cost of living at her family’s North London home at the time. Despite her handsome salary, 56-year old mum-of-two Kate was left financially bereft from the ordeal and has since vowed to fight for change – in a bid to ensure others don’t have to go through the same problems she did.
“Having to fight the system that should be there to catch you when you fall but feels like, when you’re going through it, is there to catch you out,” she continued. “And that’s what now, I want to be Derek’s legacy, to fight on for that change.”
Want all the biggest Showbiz and TV news straight to your inbox? Sign up for our free Daily Star Showbiz newsletter.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
