TV star’s finances have been in the headlines this week

Good Morning Britain presenter Kate Garraway addressed financial issues during a chat about money on the ITV programme today (June 20).

Widowed Kate, 58, revealed she’d had bailiffs at her door while husband Derek Draper was in a coma.

Money-saving expert Martin Lewis is campaigning for changes to how unpaid council tax debts are recovered.

Kate Garraway had ‘no idea’ council tax had gone unpaid

Kate Garraway host Good Morning Britain alongside Adil Ray on Friday (Credit: ITV)
And it was at this point that Kate divulged her experience of collectors turning up at her house.

Kate shared that bailiffs came to her home after she had unknowingly not paid her council tax for six weeks.

She explained the bill had gone unpaid as Derek had been responsible for handling their council tax.

Kate also said she had “no idea” it was going unpaid, or she would have settled it – and described the circumstances as “awful”.

Meanwhile, in other Kate Garraway news, she pleaded with her bank earlier this week to get in contact, indicating she hasn’t been able to access her money.

Taking to X, Kate addressed Barclays on Tuesday (June 17) afternoon, begging for advisors to get in touch with her.

The telly fave said she’d been unable to access either her current or savings account since last Friday. Furthermore, she hasn’t been able to speak to anyone in customer service.

Kate Garraway directed a social media post at Barclays (Credit: ITV)

Kate shares financial issues

Kate wrote: “@Barclays please please get in touch with me – I have not been able to access any of my Barclays accounts current or savings since Friday due to changing my phone handset and can’t get through to anyone on customer service – please dm me.”

Within minutes, her tweet was flooded with concerned responses, telling Kate she’d tagged the wrong account and urging her not to give out her bank details to anyone who could be a scammer.

One said: “Cue loads of messages to Kate asking for her details.” Another commented: “Gawd be careful out there putting your world in Twitter /X. Who knows who will answer you.” “Go into a branch Kate,” another urged, as users messaged Kate asking for her bank details.

“Hi Kate. I am definitely Barclays Bank worker. I am very big boss at Barclays. Please can you DM me your card numbers including expiry date and ccv number, mother’s maiden name and pin please,” said one.

However, an official customer services representative soon responded to Kate via the Barclays X account.

They wrote: “Could you please pop into our DMs with your full name, postcode, contact number, and we can take it from there together. I’ve popped a link on this message that will take you through to us in DM. If you do have any other questions then please do let me know as we are here 24/7 for you. Thank you!”

“I hope Barclays are that helpful to someone who’s not Kate Garraway,” complained another user.

ED! has contacted Kate’s reps for comment.

How much is Kate Garraway in debt for?

It isn’t the first time Kate Garraway and her financial issues have been reported on since her husband Derek died aged 56 after years battling health complications after he contracted Covid-19 in 2020.

Back in March 2024, Kate said on GMB she was “in debt”, indicating she struggled financially because she couldn’t “earn enough”. Her comments came just two months after Derek’s death.

Ahead of her Kate Garraway: Derek’s Story documentary, she suggested the £16,000 monthly expense for looking after Derek was more than her salary could support.

“I am ashamed of the fact that I am in debt,” she said at the time. Kate went on to explain: “I have an incredible job that I love, that’s very well paid. I’m not a carer, travelling miles, paying their own transport to go and help somebody for minimum wage. I’m somebody who is very well paid and so I just feel ashamed that I couldn’t make it work.”

Derek Draper passed away in January 2024 (Credit: ITV)

Kate Garraway on money

Meanwhile, in her doc, Kate shared: “Derek’s care costs more than my salary from ITV and that is before you pay for a mortgage, before you pay for any household bills. Before you pay for anything for the kids. So we are at a crunch point.”

Kate continued: “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.”

I’m not going to pretend that I am poorly paid.

And reflecting on possible assumptions about her finances, because of her TV work, Kate added: “I’m not going to pretend that I am poorly paid, I have an incredible job that I love, which is well-paid. But it’s not enough.”

Additionally, in December 2024, it was reported Kate’s company may have plunged £165,000 into debt. Reports concerning the liquidation of Astra Aspera Ltd, a company she ran alongside her late husband, followed within weeks. The business was reported to owe almost £1 million at the time.

It has also been previously reported Kate could be forced to sell her family home in London amid claims Derek’s care “wiped [her] out financially”.