Kate Garraway has spoken with rare honesty about the idea of dating again following the heartbreaking death of her husband, Derek Draper, who passed away last year at 56 after a long and devastating battle with long Covid. The Good Morning Britain presenter, now 58, said she still misses Derek every day and “wouldn’t like to think” she’ll never experience romantic love again — but insists she’s not quite ready yet.
Speaking on Jamie Laing’s Great Company podcast, Kate admitted she does hope romance returns to her life one day. Laughing, she teased Jamie to “talk to your mates and see if any of their dads are single — that’s your task,” making him burst out laughing.
Kate reflected on how unfamiliar the modern dating scene feels to her, confessing she’s never used dating apps and saying the whole concept of meeting strangers feels unnatural. She told Jamie that whenever she’s tried to “date,” she ends up slipping into interview mode: “I just end up interviewing them and struggling to get a word in edgeways.”
Calling herself “old school,” Kate said she used to believe you met people simply by living life and doing what you loved — adding, with a small smile, that “maybe that doesn’t happen anymore.”
Friends of the Classic FM host have reportedly encouraged her to take gentle steps forward. Sources say someone “has shown interest” in Kate, but those around her are reminding her that she deserves happiness and should take things at her own pace. “It would be lovely for her to go slowly and simply see herself as a single woman again — someone with a lot to offer and deserving of a lot in return,” a friend told OK!
Kate continues to focus on her family — Darcey, 19, and Billy, 16 — while gradually opening up to the idea that love might one day find its way back to her.
