Kate Garraway and Liam Halligan: Inside Their Growing Friendship and Undeniable Chemistry

FOR Kate Garraway it was a concept that would have seemed utterly unimaginable two years ago.

But for the first time since the death of her husband Derek Draper, the popular Good Morning Britain presenter is finally thinking of a life that may once again contain romance.

Kate Garraway has become great pals with Liam Halligan over the past six monthsCredit: Getty Liam Halligan, circled, has said there’s a ‘definite spark’ between him and KateCredit: Instagram/Josh Lovatt

Step forward, — the smooth-talking chap putting a grin back on her face.

While friends insist nothing has yet happened — “they haven’t so much as held hands, let alone had a little snog” — the operative word, here, is “yet”.

Indeed, Liam was quick to sing her praises last night, WhatsApping me: “I’ve known Kate for years and we’ve recently become close.

“We laugh a lot and really enjoy each other’s company.

“She loves Irish music and came to Saffron Walden to see [his band] The Hooligans with mutual friends. It was great fun, with lots of singing and dancing.

“It’s very early days. This may or may not turn into something long-term but there is a definite spark between us — and we’re both excited to see what happens.”

Very attractive

You would be hard-pressed to find a single person in the UK who would deny brave Kate such happiness.

So who is the man who may or may not kiss

According to his Instagram handle he is an “economist, journalist, author, broadcaster, musician, father”, in that order.

Says a pal: “Liam and Kate have become great pals over the past six months or so, helped one another through their various turmoils, and there is an undisputed chemistry between them.

“Liam is very much Kate’s type on paper — charismatic, hugely confident, opinionated and gregarious. You can take him anywhere and he will operate the room, charming everybody in it.

“It’s fair to say he is not a shy and retiring wallflower. He also has a very impressive CV, and knows a lot about a lot which, of course, is a very attractive quality.”

I am told he is a devoted dad — in fact, he plays guitar in the traditional Irish music band with daughter Maeve on the fiddle — and a loyal mate. If you’re in his set, you’re in.

He was also good pals with the political spin doctor turned psychotherapist Derek, in January 2024.

Liam co-hosts an acclaimed podcast, Planet Normal, alongside rightwing commentator Allison Pearson, and has won multiple gongs including a 2007 British Press Award — whose prize-giving ceremony Kate hosted in 2014.

Former head boy Liam grew up in a working-class Irish family in Kingsbury, North West London, and was the first person in his family to go to university, with economics degrees from Oxford and Warwick.

According to his Instagram handle, he’s an ‘economist, journalist, author, broadcaster, musician, father’, in that orderCredit: Alamy Liam plays guitar in the traditional Irish music band with daughter Maeve on the fiddleCredit: Supplied Every year since 2013, dad-of-three Liam has done the Duchenne Dash, a gruelling 24-hour London-to-Paris bike rideCredit: Supplied

Liam yesterday appeared on , discussing fiscal matters of state, as opposed to his would-be love life.

But, at the end of the exchange he was grilled about reports.

He confirmed the pair’s growing closeness, revealing with a smile: “I’ve known her for a long time, I knew Derek, I was a political commentator, of course I knew him. In recent years for different reasons, we have both become single, against our wishes.

“So, in recent weeks and months, Kate and I have become good friends.”

‘Getting cosy’

At the weekend, star joined Liam, 56, in his home town.

She was seen “getting cosy” with him at The Railway Arms pub where he was performing.

It comes after Kate, 58, described her time on the hit show — she made it through to the semi-finals last year as a Faithful — as “transformative”.

Meanwhile, just as Kate is regularly seen grilling politicians on GMB, Liam has given evidence to numerous select committees in the House of Commons and Lords on subjects ranging from housing to digital infrastructure to AI.

While Derek was previously ex-PM Gordon Brown’s svengali, last September Lucy Connolly — the woman controversially jailed for a hate Tweet — was introduced on stage at the Reform party conference by Liam and Allison.

The journalist has also written and presented a string of documentaries for and led C4’s News economics coverage for the past ten years.

Liam is very much Kate’s type on paper — charismatic, hugely confident, opinionated and gregarious. You can take him anywhere and he will operate the room, charming everybody in it.

Just as big-hearted Kate has become well known for her philanthropic work — campaigning voraciously for carers — so, too, does Liam do his bit.

Every year since 2013, the dad of three has done the Duchenne Dash, a gruelling 24-hour London-to-Paris bike ride, helping raise funds and awareness for muscular dystrophy.

Reassuringly, though, I am told Liam “likes a drink”.

Adds a friend: “Liam is a real raconteur and loves nothing more than holding court at a raucous party or media bash.

“He loves his nice wines and grub, and he and Kate really have a giggle together. Kate is such fabulous company and you can see why they spark off one another wonderfully.”

Derek became Britain’s longest suffering Covid patient, spending weeks on end in intensive care. He was also the first high-profile person to go into hospital with the deadly virus, in March 2020, at the start of the pandemic.

He endured a long and draining fight to health and never gave up hope, despite his extensive injuries and long-term damage.

Derek Draper became Britain’s longest suffering Covid patient, spending weeks on end in intensive careCredit: Rex While it may still be ‘early days’ for Kate and Liam, their friendship is very much realCredit: Shutterstock Editorial

The battling dad of two even rallied to join Kate as she picked up her OBE for services to broadcasting, charity and journalism, in June 2023.

News of Kate and Liam’s blossoming friendship comes three months after I revealed , linking her to a made-up boyfriend.

The presenter subsequently appeared on GMB explaining how hurtful fake news could be, and she had had to explain to her beloved two kids, Darcey, 20, and Billy, 16, that she was, in fact, still single.

Writing for The Sun, she explained: “AI is something we are all thinking about and starting to use.

‘Laughed it off’

“But it really brings home the tech’s potentially disruptive nature when you become the target of its use.

“In this case, it was to invent a new romance for me.

“At first the imagined match-ups involved friends like Richard Arnold or and we laughed it off. In the case of Ben and Richard with a retort of, “You’d be so lucky! Of course!” But the turning point for me was when I became aware of the impact it might have on my children and Derek’s family, too.

“A headline popped up, sent to me by an algorithm I assume, saying, ‘Everything you need to know about Kate Garraway’s new boyfriend’. I was flabbergasted and intrigued to know everything about a boyfriend who didn’t exist.”

For all AI’s capabilities, it did not flag Kate’s latest — and real — new man.

No, that was left to punters in the pub who excitedly posted photos of a breakfast star on to Facebook.

So while it may still be “early days” for Kate and Liam, at least their friendship is very much real.