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Kate Garraway sells home 'for over £1 million' after revealing care debt struggle

Kate Garraway sells home 'for over £1 million' after revealing care debt struggle

Daily Mirror2 days ago
Good Morning Britain host Kate Garraway, who has spoken previously about the cost of having cared for her late husband Derek Draper, is said to have sold a property
Broadcaster Kate Garraway is said to sold her second home after being left with "excessive unpayable debt" through caring for her late husband Derek Draper. She's reportedly sold a property in London for £1.5 million recently.

Kate, 58, has previously spoken about the financial impact of having looked after Derek, who died, aged 56, last year. She's said to have been facing a debt of up to £800,000 for his care and has reportedly been paying off debts related to his company Astra Aspera, which shut down in 2022.

It's now been reported that Kate has sold her second home, which is said to be in North London. The news comes following speculation over her future on Good Morning Britain amid upcoming changes at ITV.

According to the Sun, Kate had a property, which it described as a flat, in North London that recently sold for £1.5 million, but it's said to have been "heavily mortgaged". A source added that she had been keeping the property as a "financial safety net".
The source told the outlet: "Kate takes paying off the debts very seriously and she's always said she'd go to any lengths to achieve that. This is just part of that commitment, even if it does mean she's had to lose the flat which she actually purchased years ago before meeting Derek and before they bought a family home together. Like many people, she was keeping it as a financial safety net which she thought she wouldn't have to use so soon."

The Daily Mail instead reports that the property, which it claims is in the process of being sold, was a three-bed townhouse in North London. It states that it had been up for rent for £6,750-a-month prior to going up for sale.
The Mirror understands that it was a house, rather than a flat, that has been on the market. We also understand that the property has already been sold.
There were concerns last year that Kate would have to sell the home she's lived in with her two children. The Mail however suggests that this appears to have been avoided though by the apparent selling of her second home.

Derek died in January last year following health issues in recent years, including having been hospitalised for over a year during the Covid pandemic. Kate's spoken about the cost of his care in the years since he was hospitalised.
In a documentary last year, for example, she said that it was "more than" her salary from ITV. She added: "Unlike the NHS, state-funded social care is only available to people with the highest needs and the lowest means."

Earlier this year, whilst discussing the challenges she had faced, she said on Good Morning Britain: "One of the overriding ones until he went back into intensive care before he passed away, was dealing with the funding of care. At the time of his death, there were two appeals that hadn't been heard for funding.
"It kept on getting pushed back and pushed back. In the meantime, and I'm lucky I've got an incredible job which is well paid, I was having to fund the situation. Now I've got excessive unpayable debt because of it, and if I'm in that position, what else are people going to be?"
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Marks & Spencer announces exact date it will close 100-year-old flagship store after ‘never recovering from Covid'
Marks & Spencer announces exact date it will close 100-year-old flagship store after ‘never recovering from Covid'

Scottish Sun

timean hour ago

  • Scottish Sun

Marks & Spencer announces exact date it will close 100-year-old flagship store after ‘never recovering from Covid'

Another M&S store is soon to reopen after an exciting revamp END OF AN ERA Marks & Spencer announces exact date it will close 100-year-old flagship store after 'never recovering from Covid' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MARKS & Spencer has confirmed its historic flagship store will close in a matter of weeks, after failing to recover from Covid. The popular supermarket has been serving Wolverhampton shoppers since 1929, however it will soon be closing its doors for good. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 M&S has announced the closing date of one of its flagship stores Credit: Google Maps The store is located on Dudley Street, Wolverhampton and will stop trading on September 27. M&S regional manager, Calum Telford, said: "I would like to say a massive thanks to all our customers who have shopped with us over the years and our colleagues, past and present, who have contributed to the store. "We have a proud history in Wolverhampton and are working with the city council to find a suitable alternative food location. "This is part of our wider investment into the Black Country, including modernising our Merry Hill store, and we will keep the local community updated." Mr Telford added: "In the meantime, conversations are continuing with our store colleagues and we will offer them alternative roles at M&S wherever possible." Staff at the Dudley store have also been informed that it has been confirmed by bosses that the business hopes to find a suitable alternative city location to open a new dedicated food store. M&S first announced the store's closure last month after sharing that it had been performing "less well for a long period of time." According to bosses, this is a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, from which the shop "never fully recovered." In a statement made at the time, Mr Telford said: ""Our UK-wide store rotation programme is all about reshaping for growth and making sure every M&S store delivers the best possible shopping experience for our customers. "That's why we have made the tough decision to propose the closure of our Dudley Street store. M&S launches first-of-its-kind store "Sadly, the store has been performing less well for a long period of time and has never fully recovered from the Covid pandemic." This comes after M&S announced in 2022 than it intended to reduce its number of traditional department store openings from 247 to 180, while also opening an additional 100 new food halls by April 2026. Also, earlier this summer company chairman Archie Norman said the firm was looking to exit "struggling town centres" as part of a £500 million plan to update its retail store portfolio nationwide. Meanwhile, Wolverhampton Council has stressed that it has been working alongside M&S to try and find a new location for a food hall in the city. A council spokesperson said: 'It will be sad to see M&S leave the Dudley Street store at the end of September - but they remain committed to Wolverhampton and we are working with them to identify suitable locations that fit their new business model. 'We appreciate how unsettling this is for staff, and the council's Wolves at Work employment support team is connected with M&S to support workers and their families. "We are also keen to see the privately-owned Dudley Street site brought back into use quickly. 'As everyone knows town and city centres across the country are changing and we fully understand M&S's difficult decision was driven by wider, changing market conditions and customer behaviour." In brighter news, M&S is set to launch its revamped food hall at Merry Hill shopping centre this Friday. Wolverhampton Council have said despite the sad news about the department store closure, there are lots of regeneration projects set to create new homes and jobs to look forward to. A spokesperson added: ""The transformation of the city centre includes thousands of new city centre homes at Smithgate and Canalside; better connectivity and safer public spaces; a world-class entertainment venue at the University of Wolverhampton at The Halls; a new independent cinema at the Chubb Building; a growing commercial district at the Interchange and a new £61million City Learning Quarter which opens this autumn and will bring thousands of new visitors to our city centre every week.' Why are retailers closing stores? RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis. High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going. However, additional costs have added further pain to an already struggling sector. The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs from April will cost the retail sector £2.3billion. At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year. It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year. Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025." It comes after almost 170,000 retail workers lost their jobs in 2024. End-of-year figures compiled by the Centre for Retail Research showed the number of job losses spiked amid the collapse of major chains such as Homebase and Ted Baker. It said its latest analysis showed that a total of 169,395 retail jobs were lost in the 2024 calendar year to date. This was up 49,990 – an increase of 41.9% – compared with 2023. It is the highest annual reading since more than 200,000 jobs were lost in 2020 in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced retailers to shut their stores during lockdowns. The centre said 38 major retailers went into administration in 2024, including household names such as Lloyds Pharmacy, Homebase, The Body Shop, Carpetright and Ted Baker. Around a third of all retail job losses in 2024, 33% or 55,914 in total, resulted from administrations. Experts have said small high street shops could face a particularly challenging 2025 because of Budget tax and wage changes. Professor Bamfield has warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector. "By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020.

What I Own: I sluethed on Rightmove to get a £36,000 discount on my Bristol home
What I Own: I sluethed on Rightmove to get a £36,000 discount on my Bristol home

Metro

time10 hours ago

  • Metro

What I Own: I sluethed on Rightmove to get a £36,000 discount on my Bristol home

Welcome back to What I Own – Metro's property series where we speak to homeowners about getting on the ladder. When Orima Kamalu, 36, and her husband first moved into their Bristol three-bed, they started on a high. The pair managed to secure their property for £629,000 – which was £36,000 less than the asking price. How did they do it? Simply by doing some detective work on Rightmove, and taking the risk. Now, they've just marked one year in their new home, which creative Orima has certainly put a colourful stamp on. Here's what Orima had to say about her property journey… You can access completely fee-free mortgage advice with London & Country (L&C) Mortgages, a partner of Metro. Customers benefit from: – Award winning service from the UK's leading mortgage broker – Expert advisors on hand 7 days a week – Access to 1000s of mortgage deals from across the market Unlike many mortgage brokers, L&C won't charge you a fee for their advice. Find out how much you could borrow online Mortgage service provided by London & Country Mortgages (L&C), which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (registered number: 143002). The FCA does not regulate most Buy to Let mortgages. Your home or property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. I'm a consultant psychiatrist in the NHS, and my hobbies include DIY, arts and crafts, and watching far too much TV. My husband and I were studying, working and renting in London until 2019, when we moved back to Bristol, my hometown, to be closer to my mum. We have a three-year-old son and a seven-year-old cocker spaniel. Our property is in Westbury-On-Trym, just north of Bristol. It's known for being quite a traditional 'village' and less trendy than other parts of the city, but we love it. My favourite thing is how close we are to so many beautiful outdoor spaces, such as Blaise Estate, Baddocks Woods and The Downs. I'm also obsessed with FED, a delightful local café which recently opened a new branch. That said, the local high street has clearly suffered in recent years, with lots of long-standing independent stores closing. We hope that our community will continue to support the retailers we love. June 2024. Our property was listed for £665,000 and we purchased it for £629,000. Around £127,000. Our mortgage is £2,400 per month. Our bills come to approximately £1,200, including gas, electricity, water, broadband, and council tax. This is our second home, so we used the net proceeds from the sale of our first home as a deposit for this property. We bought our first property in 2021 for £395,000 with a 10% deposit, which came from savings gradually built over several years. We sold it for £463,000. Being NHS workers during COVID, we were lucky that we were still employed during this time, so we could continue saving. We also benefited from the stamp duty hiatus. Orima was keen to channel her creativity into her new house, with bold colour choices and chic furnishings. Now, the standout feature is the ceiling in her three-year-old's bedroom: hand-painted fluffy white clouds on a bright blue sky. The quirky choice got her son's seal of approval, and it even got her norminated for a Best Showstopping Home Feature in the Home Awards. Celebrating talent across 20 categories, including interiors, gardens, furniture innovation and home accessories, the awards highlight the best in the home renovations game. We were probably saving for our initial deposit since we both left university, but in earnest for about two years since moving to Bristol in 2019. The most complex part of securing a mortgage for uswas figuring out how to 'port' our existing mortgage debt from the first property to the second. A ported mortgage is what happens when you buy a new home and you want to take your existing mortgage rate with you. It's usually used when you have a deal that you want to keep, and while you'll still need to apply for a new mortgage, your current rate will still apply if you're successful in 'porting' it. If you want to borrow more than the value of your previous home, you can apply for additional borrowing. This will mean you'll end up with two elements to your mortgage, one part being the ported rate and the second being to cover the extra borrowing (usually on a different rate). Again, our broker oversaw the whole process with ease and clarity, so we were very fortunate that this went smoothly. We have a two-part mortgage with HSBC. Part 1: (ported mortgage) 3.29% fixed until 2027, 30-year term. Part 2: (new/additional mortgage) 4.38% fixed until 2029, 30-year term. We crunched some numbers with our mortgage advisor to determine what we could actually afford, and this kicked off our house search. I saw this property come on the market in September 2023 and immediately fell in love with it, even though it was quite out of our budget. I loved the location, the size and the potential to be refurbished without much need for anything structural. I did a bit of research on the property itself and found the buying history on Rightmove, which showed what the current owners had bought it for, versus the price it was actually listed for at the time. They offered below asking, so we took a chance and did the same. It was actually the same amount below asking that the current owners had bought for, which I think was part of the reason they didn't dismiss it. We were also the only potential buyers, which helped. We were so lucky it was accepted. Before we moved in, I had used a home visualiser app, which virtually redecorates the entire house, so I had a clear vision of how I wanted it to look in time. I get a lot of inspiration from Instagram home accounts. I'm drawn to homes which combine traditional features (like panelling and coving) with bold but earthy colours, prints and statement pieces like funky lighting. Sort of like a 'muted maximalism'. My favourite room is probably the kitchen, as even though I detest cooking, it's the transformation I'm most proud of. The kitchen was very different before, with white gloss units, turquoise walls, and a black floor and counter. It took quite a bit of figuring out and learning new skills but now I love the Victorian dresser and the drinks cabinet we sourced from Facebook marketplace, and I'm proud of our DIY tiling. We were keen to ensure that anywhere we bought had a reasonably-sized garden (a must with a dog), off-street parking and a downstairs toilet. In future, I'll be adding the following to the list: utility room and a garage (we lost one in the move, and it's such a wrench storage-wise). Yes and no. We do have more than enough space however, we've just started making enquiries about expanding the property with a small extension at the back, which we would use as an office and gym space. It would free up an extra bedroom in case we have a second child. The DIY renovations are endless and constantly ongoing. We had solar panels installed recently, which has been a really great addition in terms of bills and sustainability in general. We will likely do some landscaping of the front of the property and the rear garden to make them more enjoyable outdoor spaces. Fortunately (touch wood) nothing major so far. The odd thing is plumbing and heating, but we've been lucky not to need any big issues addressed. We count ourselves as extremely privileged to have been able to take this step, and I think fellow homeowners would do well to remember that. More Trending It's also been a big exercise in patience, as for a quite straightforward purchases, it took a surprisingly long time to get to completion. We think we'll probably stay here for at least 10 years or so, as the location suits our little family very well. View More » In the longer term, I think our desire for more space and privacy may take us further out of Bristol, but we shall see. Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ MORE: London's 'quaint' borough is the cheapest to rent at £1,485 — but it might not be for long MORE: 'Fantastic' market town named the UK's cheapest for first-time buyers MORE: My husband paid our entire £45,250 house deposit — it makes me so uncomfortable

Rachel Reeves: John Swinney SNP independence push playing from 'same tired old playbook'
Rachel Reeves: John Swinney SNP independence push playing from 'same tired old playbook'

Scotsman

time12 hours ago

  • Scotsman

Rachel Reeves: John Swinney SNP independence push playing from 'same tired old playbook'

Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Chancellor Rachel Reeves has blasted John Swinney's latest independence push as playing from 'the same old playbook'. The chancellor also criticised the SNP's tax policy and appeared to suggest the UK Government will not make further pushes to lower US tariffs on Scotch whisky. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ms Reeves made the comments during a visit to RAF Lossiemouth on Friday, where she highlighted the UK Government's recent investments in defence and clean energy. Chancellor Rachel Reeves | Jane Barlow/Press Association This comes after the First Minister defended his strategy of a majority of SNP MSPs elected at the 2026 Scottish Parliament election as a mandate for a second independence referendum. Speaking to The Scotsman on the RAF Lossiemouth airfield, Ms Reeves said: 'It's just the same old playbook from the SNP. 'They want to talk about the past and the referendum of a decade ago, and we want to move forward and seize the huge opportunities. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I'd rather hear John Swinney talking about how he's going to back jobs in Scotland, how he is going to reduce NHS waiting lists in Scotland, how he is going to improve school and college standards in Scotland - but it's' the same tired old SNP. 'They've only got one playbook, and that's independence. 'I think ordinary people and businesses here in Scotland want to hear what the parties are going to do about reducing NHS waiting lists and seizing the opportunities for growth here in Scotland, and that's what I'm focused on.' First Minister John Swinney | Jane Barlow/Press Association She also criticised the SNP's tax policy, and promised that Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar would reform the tax system if they win next year's election. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The different tax rates between Scotland and England mean anyone earning more than £28,850 pays more tax north of the border than they would elsewhere. Ms Reeves said: 'What the SNP do is tax people on ordinary salaries more than they'd be taxed if they were in England. 'I know that Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, says that if we win the next Holyrood elections, we would reform the tax system because in Scotland people are paying more but getting less, and whilst NHS waiting lists are falling in England and Wales, they are still on the rise in Scotland. 'Despite the record settlement that we gave the Scottish Government, they are taxing more and providing worse services.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ms Reeves's visit to RAF Lossiemouth comes just days after the Moray military base played host to US President Donald Trump. During his visit to Scotland, the president met with both the First Minister and Ms Reeve's boss Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. During his meeting with the president at Trump International in Aberdeenshire, Mr Swinney made the case for lowering tariffs on Scotch whisky exports to the US. Currently whisky exports face a 10 per cent tariff in the US, costing the industry £4 million a week. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad After his meeting, Mr Swinney said there was a 'willingness' from Mr Trump to look at the issue. US President Donald Trump at Trump International earlier in the week. | Press Association During Mr Trump's visit, Mr Sarwar suggested the Prime Minister agreed with the call to exempt Scotch whisky from the 10 per cent tariffs. However, when pressed on the issue the chancellor appeared to suggest she was not willing to make any more pitches to the US Government on whisky tariffs. Ms Reeves said: 'We've got the best trade deal of any country in the world from the US. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We were the first country to get a trade deal, and the announcements around tariffs on other countries around the world, whether that's on the EU or others, are substantially higher. 'So we're in a better position than anyone else in the world, and if you look for example at the trade deal we got with India last week, it sees a halving of tariffs on whisky. 'India is the fastest growing market in the world for Scotch whisky - that is really exciting.' A spokesperson for the Scotch Whisky Association said: "We welcomed Scotch whisky tariffs being raised with President Trump earlier this week. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We're encouraged that the 10 per cent tariff on Scotch whisky in our biggest market – which is costing our industry more than £4m a week in lost exports – remains high on the agenda. 'Given the importance of the Scotch whisky industry to the UK economy, and communities all over Scotland, there is no time for complacency. "We welcomed the India free trade agreement, which will open opportunities for our industry in the longer term, but returning to zero tariff trade with the US would give much needed relief now. 'Our industry is facing significant headwinds both at home and in our markets around the world, impacting our ability to invest. High levels of excise duty here at home are hitting businesses hard and it's vital the chancellor listen to those concerns at the upcoming budget, recognising the wider impact of global and domestic turbulence, and supporting Scotch whisky in its home market." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'The First Minister made the case for tariff exemptions for our world class whisky sector directly with President Trump this week and - at the invitation of the president - intends to make further representations to him on this matter. 'We hope the 10 per cent tariff can be reduced or removed for all relevant products, including whisky, and we will continue to work with the UK Government to ensure all Scotland's interests are represented as the UK-US economic prosperity deal is completed and built upon.

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