Kate Garraway suffers 'shock' setback as she tackles late husband Derek Draper's debts

Good Morning Britain's has been left "shocked" after discovering she is still heavily in debt, with new paperwork from HMRC revealing that nearly £140,000 in loan debts remain from her late husband's company. But that's not the only eye-watering debt she is tackling. She is also juggling a hefty tax bill of £288,000.

A Liquidators' statement of receipts and payments published this week reportedly reveals that Derek's firm, Astra Aspera, still has several outstanding debts which Kate is under pressure to repay. Despite the company receiving royalties of £37,000, a loan of £139,849 needs to be repaid, as well as a £288,000 tax bill owed to HMRC.

With no more assets left in the company, states that efforts to recover the money are ongoing, although it is believed that Kate currently lacks the funds to repay the debt.

She has been striving to pay back the money, and sources close to her emphasise that these are debts from Derek's company, and the loss of his income due to his illness has significantly impacted her financial situation, reports .

Express Online reached out to Kate's representatives for comment, who said: "Kate has met all that the liquidators of Derek's company have asked for and more over the past 4 years. She doesn't recognise these figures and is shocked that 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 all Derek's now defunct company."

Derek sadly passed away in January 2024 at the age of 56 following a prolonged battle with the long-term effects of -19. Kate has been frank about the significant financial impact that caregiving for Derek has had, often discussing the economic hardships she's faced.

Astra Aspera Ltd, founded by Derek in 2021, fell into liquidation in March 2022, leaving an outstanding debt of £716,822 to HMRC and £196,548 to other four creditors. Kate has since managed to repay part of the sum, though the remaining debts are yet to be settled.

Expressing herself candidly before her husband passed away, Kate disclosed in the ITV documentary, 'Kate Garraway: Derek's Story' that she would struggle to cover the costs.

She told viewers: "Derek's care costs more than my salary from ITV and that is before you pay for a , 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."