Kate Garraway's financial woes deepen as she is forced to call in experts for help after being crippled by £700,000 tax bill from late husband Derek Draper's psychotherapy company

Kate Garraway has called in financial experts for help over a £700,000 tax bill from her late husband Derek Draper's psychotherapy company.

The huge bill came after Kate, 57, closed her late husband's firm this year - as she admitted she had used some of her pension to clear £800,000 of debt from Derek's medical bills.

Psychotherapy company Astra Aspera Ltd was shut down with £184,096.96 of debt. The closure landed her with a £716,000 tax bill. Another company, Praespero 100 Ltd saw its assets fall by £87,043 in 2022. 

The Good Morning Britain presenter's husband of 18 years Derek Draper died on January 3, this year. He suffered a heart attack before Christmas following a long battle with Covid. 

Kate cared for her husband Derek's every need while juggling television work and her radio show.

Now she has hired London financial experts Hacker Young to handle HMRC's requests, The Sun reported.

The company's speciality is in dealing with 'tax investigations and litigation support'.

Last month, the star even admitted she couldn't afford to have the heating on in October. 

Announcing his death, Kate said at the time: 'Rest gently and peacefully now Derek, my love, I was so lucky to have you in my life.'

Derek's illness was a factor in Kate's financial woes. The Good Morning Britain star liquidated one company she and husband Derek Draper owned in March last year.

Friends have said heartbroken Kate is 'bearing up' after her husband Derek's death - as ITV told the star she could have 'as much time off as she needs'.

A friend of Kate's previously told the Mail: 'She is doing okay, she is bearing up and is being strong for her children.'

The cost of treating Derek also played into her troubles. Kate twice funded trips to Mexico for extreme courses of therapy to help her husband recover.

Kate told The Sun in March last year: 'Of course it's been tough financially. 

'As anyone with a loved one who is seriously ill knows, the costs go through the roof in so many ways. 

'You have to make changes to your home and it affects your ability to work. 

'I had to take long periods off when Derek was first sick, and of course it affects the overall income for the family as he can no longer work.'

Kate who had two children with Derek, Darcey, 17, and their youngest, Billy, 11, said in her emotional Instagram post: 'I'm sad to have to tell you all that my darling husband Derek has passed away.

'Derek was surrounded by his family in his final days and I was by his side holding his hand throughout the last long hours and when he passed.

'I have so much more to say, and of course I will do so in due course, but for now I just want to thank all the medical teams who fought so hard to save him and to make his final moments as comfortable and dignified as possible'.

She added: 'As some of you may know he has been critically ill following a cardiac arrest in early December which, because of the damage inflicted by Covid in March 2020, led to further complications.

'Sending so much love and thanks to all of you who have so generously given our family so much support. Rest gently and peacefully now Derek, my love, I was so lucky to have you in my life.'

Derek was a former researcher for Blairite Peter Mandelson who became a New Labour spin doctor and later retrained as a psychotherapist after a series of political and lobbying scandals.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is set to write privately to Kate on behalf of the Labour Party.

'The strength of character and courage she's shown, quite simply, is indescribable.

'She would come into work, every single day, after three hours of broken sleep, plaster on a smile, and sit in make-up having her heartbroken, tear-stained face covered with studio make-up. It was truly remarkable.'

Tragically, Derek was among the first in the UK to fall seriously ill with Covid-19 and was admitted to an intensive care unit as the country entered lockdown in March 2020.

He was one of the country's longest-suffering Covid patients after being in hospital but never fully recovered after the virus left long-lasting damage to his organs and meant he needed round-the-clock care.

A source close to Kate, who works with her at ITV, told The Sun: 'Kate has been through hell and back - and, by virtue of her career, it's all been played out in the public domain.'

MailOnline understands that Derek passed away on Wednesday night in a North London hospital. Kate said that he died surrounded by family.

Derek had been plagued with health woes after contracting Covid in 2020 and suffered a cardiac arrest in early December, with Kate spending Christmas at hospital.

The heartbreaking turn of events came after it was reported Derek was 'in great spirits' and looking forward to Christmas with his family.

A source told The Sun at the time: 'It was sudden and a shock as he had been doing so well and was in great spirits, looking forward to Christmas at home with the family.

'This setback has been a huge blow for his family and all the people caring for him.

'Kate has been utterly incredible — by his side while being an amazing mum to Darcey and Billy, and trying to manage their expectations of a family Christmas.'

Derek was in and out of hospital after he fell seriously ill with coronavirus at the very start of the pandemic in March 2020, and was left with lasting damage to his organs.

Doctors put him in a medically induced coma and he became the longest-suffering coronavirus patient in the UK after spending 13 months in hospital, apart from Kate and their two children.

However, he was readmitted several times with numerous health issues, including kidney failure, brain inflammation and liver damage.