Garraway with her late husband Derek Draper
TV presenter Kate Garraway has sold her London property for an impressive £1.7 million, securing a massive profit — but the sale comes amid her continued struggle with £800,000 in debt following the devastating loss of her husband, Derek Draper, to Covid-related complications.
The star on Celebrity Traitors
According to official Land Registry documents, the Celebrity Traitors and Good Morning Britain star finalized the sale of her elegant Georgian townhouse in Islington, North London, which she and Derek originally bought for £550,000 in May 2004.
The couple later took out a mortgage on the property in 2016 with the Royal Bank of Scotland. Assuming the loan didn’t exceed their original purchase price, Kate stands to make a healthy £1 million profit after taxes.
💷 Selling to Survive
For years, Kate and Derek lived in their five-bedroom home in Muswell Hill, while renting out the Islington house for £6,750 per month through Open Rent. The property, spread over three floors, featured three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a private garden, and a rooftop terrace.
Now, the sale is seen as a major relief for the 58-year-old presenter, who has faced a financial crisis since losing Derek in January 2024. Her husband — a political consultant and psychotherapist — tragically passed away at 56 after a four-year battle with post-Covid complications.
Kate was reportedly left owing around £800,000 for Derek’s medical care and rehabilitation. It remains unclear whether the debt is in her name personally or tied to one of their companies.
📺 From “Faithful” to Financial Struggle
Kate recently appeared on BBC’s Celebrity Traitors, where she took part as a “Faithful.” However, her time on the show was cut short when fellow contestants wrongly accused her of being a Traitor — leading to her dramatic banishment from the castle.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain after the episode aired, Kate admitted she was stunned by her co-stars’ suspicion:
“I was absolutely flabbergasted. I thought I’d be the least suspicious person in the world! It’s such an intense experience — lying, deceiving, murdering — it’s not me at all.”
Despite the TV setback, it’s the financial pressure that continues to weigh most heavily on her.
💔 The Heavy Cost of Love and Loss
Last year, reports revealed that Kate may have to sell her Muswell Hill family home to cover mounting debts. A close friend told The Mail:
“It’s heartbreaking. Not only did she spend years watching Derek suffer, but the financial burden has never gone away. She spent hundreds of thousands trying everything possible to help him get better.”
Those efforts, though driven by love, left her facing overwhelming costs — and multiple company liquidations.
Three of the couple’s businesses reportedly went bankrupt, owing over £1.5 million, much of it to HMRC.
📉 Financial Turmoil Behind the Scenes
Derek’s psychotherapy firm, Astra Aspera Ltd, co-owned with Kate, went into creditors’ voluntary liquidation three years ago. The company owed significant sums to creditors, including a £288,054 preferential claim from HMRC.
There were also creditor claims of nearly £200,000 from other firms, including a £50,000 bank loan.
Liquidator Greenfield Recovery reported that there would be no payouts to creditors, with most funds consumed by £32,000 in administrative fees and asset recovery costs.
The report also showed the directors’ loan account was overdrawn by £139,849 — though £21,000 has since been recovered.
In 2012, two additional ventures — Fulfill Media Ltd and Countrymouse Media Ltd — also collapsed, leaving behind debts exceeding £1.1 million combined, with hundreds of thousands owed in taxes and loans.
🏠 Selling the Past, Facing the Future
While Kate’s property sale marks a small victory, it’s clear the journey ahead remains difficult. For nearly four years, she dedicated her life to Derek’s care — transforming their home into a mini-hospital, managing medical staff, and balancing her on-screen career with private grief.
“It’s been incredibly hard,” she admitted in previous interviews. “I’d do it all again for him — but it came at a price no one can imagine.”
Now, after his passing, she’s doing what she must to stay afloat — even if it means letting go of pieces of the life they built together.
🌹 A Nation’s Sympathy
Fans have flooded social media with messages of support and heartbreak. One wrote:
“She’s been through hell — caring for Derek, raising her family, and keeping her career going. She deserves a break.”
Another added:
“Selling her home just to pay for the care of the man she loved. That’s the definition of devotion.”
For many, Kate Garraway has become a quiet symbol of endurance — a woman who faced love, loss, and financial ruin with dignity.
Even as she battles debt, she remains a fixture on Good Morning Britain and continues her work with grace and warmth.
