KATE Garraway reveals ALL about her time on the “amazing” Celebrity Traitors and the profound effect it had on her life.
In our exclusive, and incredibly emotional chat, the GMB favourite also chats the shock cuts at ITV, the challenges of being a single mum and her “reset moment”.
Celebrities have many reasons for taking part in reality shows: money, increased fame, or because they simply want to experience something new.
But Kate Garraway signed up to the upcoming series of The Celebrity Traitors – which was filmed in the spring and also features stars including Jonathan Ross, Alan Carr and Stephen Fry – for very different reasons.
After all, her life has completely changed since she last appeared on a reality show.
She came fourth in I’m A Celebrity. . . Get Me Out Of Here! in November 2019 and returned home to husband Derek Draper and her two kids, full of plans for the future, including a wedding vow renewal.
The Celebrity Traitors was a deliberate reset moment
Kate Garraway
Just a few months later, however, in March 2020, author and former political advisor Derek contracted Covid – and their lives fell apart.
Overnight, she became the breadwinner and her husband’s full-time carer, with spiralling costs.
Derek tragically died, aged 56, in January 2024 as a result of a cardiac arrest, and since then, Kate has juggled caring and providing for their children, Darcey, 19, and Billy, 16, with little time to focus on her own healing – until now.
“The Celebrity Traitors was a deliberate reset moment,” Kate says.
“I chose to do it because the other people doing it were incredible. I thought: ‘When will I ever get the chance to spend time with people like that?’ There were some stars I was curious about and some were heroes.”
Kate, 58, admits she was hesitant to begin with, since taking part would require spending more than a month at Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands, and no contact with the outside world.
“Leaving the children and cutting myself off from them seemed impossible up until this point,” she says.
“But my wonderful sister-in-law, Di, offered to be with the children. She said: ‘Let me do this.’ She’s amazing and they adore her.”
As well as meeting her idols, it also gave Kate time to process her feelings over losing Derek for the first time.
“I’m a massive fan of the show, and I thought being completely cut off would be amazing – and it was,” she says. “It was extraordinary, because you were completely engaged in the game.
“You couldn’t think about anything else, as you didn’t have your phone or access to the internet. You couldn’t even watch TV, which was strange for a news junkie like me.
“But there were also moments when you were completely on your own. Well, you weren’t abandoned in some dungeon,” she laughs.
“You were cared for by the team. But it was the first time I wasn’t having to think: ‘Oh, I must pay this bill.’ I was able to be in my own head, and it did allow quite a lot of grief to come out.
“Sometimes, when you weren’t filming, you were escorted around by a producer.
“You weren’t allowed to talk to them about the game, so you ended up talking about other things.
“On my birthday, she suggested I write down everything I want for the next chapter of my life, and talk about Derek.
“So I did, and then we burned it. It was quite hippy-dippy, but there was not a chance in hell I would have done that at home. When do I ever have three hours to do something like that?
“The whole experience really affected me. When I came out, I felt like my hard drive had been wiped. It took quite a few weeks for me to get back to myself or even contact people from the castle, because it felt like: ‘Wow, this was massive.’”
Sworn to secrecy about the outcome of the roundtables, Kate admits she has no idea how she comes across.
“I think the show will be amazing,” she reveals. “But I’ve no idea if the other celebrities hated me or loved me, whereas in the jungle or on Strictly Come Dancing [in 2009, when she was partnered with Anton du Beke], you sort of knew. But whatever happens, it was such an incredible experience to have that chunk of time to myself.”
In fact, it’s had such a positive impact on Kate that she says she’s considering starting grief therapy.
“[Until recently] I’ve been in shock and focusing on the children and everything else.
“But I’ve realised I’m not allowing myself to process,” she says, before adding: “Lots of things are so wonderful as well. Work is fantastic. I love doing Good Morning Britain and then there’s the balance with my Smooth FM show, Mid Mornings With Kate Garraway.”
While her radio show is thriving with an audience of 2.9 million listeners every week, is she concerned about the ITV cuts – particularly as she is now a single-income family?
“It’s all change across ITV daytime,” she says. “All I know at the moment is that it’s happening in January.
“The show is getting longer and the gang on screen have been told that they want the audience to feel it’s the same viewing experience. So, for us, it feels like business as usual.
It’s like he’s still present within us. But sometimes it triggers me when Billy and Darcey use phrases that are pure Derek
Kate Garraway
“I had a trial run of solo income from the second Derek got sick, then after he came home I had exponential outgoings to fund his care.
“All I can say is, I have even more admiration for single mothers. I’ve talked a lot with [fellow GMB presenter] Ranvir Singh, who’s always been a single mum. I don’t know how she’s done it – mentally, financially and physically – for so long.
“There’s definitely a feeling when you’re in a marriage like mine that it’s a team. Now, there’s a shift, and it’s not fun. But it happens to a lot of people and you just get on with it.
“And there’s lots of things I’ve got that are exciting. Without wiping away everything that’s happened, the kids are happy. I do feel positive. But you have to be able to navigate it all, otherwise you get locked in a sad place.”
Her daughter Darcey started uni in 2024, and Kate reveals that dropping her off this year was a very different experience.
“She did a year in Manchester, and she’s changed to a different university,” she says. “So it was like the second time [dropping her off]. She was really happy about it.”
‘Everyone goes through these life-changing experiences – I want to help people who feel alone’
She continues: “Last year was very emotional, because it wasn’t long after Derek had passed away. It really felt like it should have been Derek and me taking her.
“This year, we drove up together, chatting all the way. It just seemed she was in a different place. We still talked about Derek and what he would think.
“It’s like he’s still present within us. But sometimes it triggers me when Billy and Darcey use phrases that are pure Derek.
“You think: ‘He’ll find that funny,’ and then you’re instantly reminded that you can’t share it.
“Darcey’s studying law and she’s obsessed with it. I’m pleased she’s happy and excited and passionate about things again. It feels like new chapters are opening up for her.”
Darcey even has a legal expert on hand, in the form of Kate’s GMB co-presenting buddy, Rob Rinder.
“She and Rob have talked a lot about law,” she says. “She could follow him and be the next Judge Rinder. He would love that. Although she says she doesn’t want to be on TV.
“Rob has been incredibly supportive to me and the family throughout the whole thing. He is one of those people who, when Derek got sick, said: ‘What can I do?’
“I remember at the time not knowing really, and he said: ‘You don’t need to talk. Just text me.’ We’ve got such a close relationship now because of that.”
She says everything they’ve been through has brought her and Darcey closer, too.
“We’ve always been close, but I think because of what we’ve been through with Derek, we’ve had to have quite blunt and direct conversations and deal with a lot of upset. Barriers have come down, which I hope is a positive for us.
It’s a weird one, because I wouldn’t like to think I’d spend the rest of my life without love, but also it feels preposterous at the moment to think of being with anyone else
Kate Garraway
“As a parent, you think you’ve got it sorted, but then they change. At the moment, we are in a good place,” she says.
“It’s poor Billy now who has to deal with me one-on-one! The focus is on him, which he loves on one hand, but on the other he’s thinking: ‘Oh, I’ve got full-on Mum hen-pecking now!’”
Like most people who have been through something earth-shattering, it’s left Kate looking for a purpose.
She continues to advocate for carers, but she is keen to pay it forward and help other people by launching a network called TheSharing.Life.
She says: “Weirdly, going through this in the public eye has been a massive advantage, because people contact me, which makes me feel less lonely. I’ve found out some really helpful advice, too.
“I’m launching TheSharing.Life, which is free to join and non-profit. Everyone goes through these life-changing experiences that completely pivot your life. All we want people to do is sign up, and then we’re going to collate lots of stories.
“I’ve got a team of experts and we’ll start with care, but we’ll do everything – emotional and practical advice. I’m learning with it, too, but I want to help people who feel alone.”
While the kids are starting to look to their futures, has Kate thought about her own, and has she considered dating again?
“I don’t have Facebook, but all my friends tell me there’s loads of stuff about me being in a relationship and having a boyfriend on there,” she says.
“On the internet, too. One website said: ‘We have everything you need to know about Kate’s new man.’ It was an AI mix of Ben Shephard’s face with a man who works with me. I thought it was hilarious.
“Then I put up a picture of a group of us – my friend Vickie’s husband Nick was in it, and everyone said we were together. He loved it as he was described as ‘a hunky Kevin Costner lookalike’, but I can confirm we are not dating!”
I can’t imagine ever going on a dating app. I’m so private
Kate Garraway
“But this has made me think about it,” she sighs.
“And honestly, I don’t feel as if I can. It’s a weird one, because I wouldn’t like to think I’d spend the rest of my life without love, but also it feels preposterous at the moment to think of being with anyone else.
“What Derek and I loved was our home life and just pottering around, and we had 21 years of that, so mentally I am still in that zone.
“However, I do realise that, when the time is right, I am not going to meet someone in my living room, so I’m going to have to think about the future at some point.
“I kind of wish I was in my 20s for lots of reasons, particularly when I see my bottom in the mirror! But it feels as though socialising was easier then. I can’t imagine ever going on a dating app. I’m so private.
“To be honest, I think right now it’s less to do with ‘finding love’ and more to do with expanding my social circle.
“I don’t even quite know how to start going out again, other than for work-related events or family stuff. Most of my friendship group are family-based and I love hanging out with them.
“But I’m going to start going for drinks with friends and try to have a social life that isn’t based on being a mummy. I just don’t feel mentally ready for more than that.
“There’s no point in worrying about it – it will happen organically when I am ready.
“I’m embarking on a chapter that I didn’t want to choose, but as they say, all’s well that ends well – and if all is not well, then it’s not the end! I sort of live by that.”
Kate presents on Smooth Radio, weekdays, 10am-1pm. Listen on Global Player, FM, DAB Digital Radio and Smoothradio.com. Watch Good Morning Britain, weekdays, from 6am, ITV1 and ITVX.
