Kate Garraway, the 59-year-old Good Morning Britain host, posed alongside broadcaster friend Liam Halligan as he geared up for a grueling 300km charity tandem bike ride from London to Paris.

Charity Challenge Details

Liam, 56, teams up with cycling partner Serge Kogan to complete the 300km journey in just 24 hours. The effort raises funds for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), a condition Liam was diagnosed with in childhood. He shared an update on X: “It’s today! London-to-Paris in 24 hours, 300km, on a tandem.”

Kate smiled in support during a photo op in London before their departure.

Evolving Friendship

The pair, friends for over 20 years, have grown closer recently. Both became single against their wishes—Kate after losing her husband Derek Draper to Covid-19 complications in January 2024, and Liam following his separation from journalist Lucy Ward.

Liam, an award-winning journalist, previously served as economics and business editor at GB News and now contributes a column to The Sunday Telegraph. He shares two daughters, Maeve and Ailis, and a son with Ward; the daughters perform with him in his band, The Hooligans.

During a Tuesday appearance on Mark Dolan’s TalkTV show, Liam addressed their bond: “I’ve known her for a long time, I knew Derek… 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.” He added, “Kate and I are good friends, it’s early days, we’ll see what happens.”

Recent Outings

Kate joined Liam in his Essex hometown of Saffron Walden over the weekend, attending his band’s gig at The Railway Arms pub. Witnesses noted the pair enjoying the lively atmosphere filled with singing and dancing.

A friend close to Kate shared: “Kate has formed a close friendship with Liam and they really enjoy one another’s company. Liam makes her laugh, he is very funny… It’s lovely to see Kate smiling again.”

The friend highlighted their shared history: Liam knew Derek, and they share mutual friends. Kate, mother to Darcey, 20, and Billie, 16, continues to grieve while living in their north London home where she cared for Derek after his March 2020 Covid illness led to a fatal cardiac arrest.

Recently, Kate described her Celebrity Traitors experience on BBC as “transformative” post-loss.