Kate Garraway and Liam Halligan cuddle up in new photo as romance rumours heat up

If the new photos of Kate Garraway and economist Liam Halligan are any indication, the wheels are in motion for the couple’s rumoured romance.

As Liam was preparing for his charity bike ride from London to Paris, he has been keeping followers of his X account up to date. And on Friday, among the pictures he posted was one that stood out - one of himself, his cycling partner, and Kate, linked arm in arm.

Liam, who has previously spoke about a "spark" between he and Kate, is all smiles as he embraced Kate who was there to support a cause near and dear to him. The group posed in front of a backdrop for the Duchenne Dash, which raises money for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) - a condition Liam was diagnosed with as a child.

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Social media users were quick to comment on Kate’s presence. One wrote, "Take Kate. It'll be a larf [sp] you'll both remember in your retirement years." Another replied, "Team Halligan is looking good. Is Kate following you on her trike?"

Kate has yet to comment on any speculation about the pair, though she did suggest in December 2025 that she’d be open to romance again, following the death of her husband, Derek Draper, in January 2024.

The presenter revealed on Jamie Laing’s Great Company podcast, "I wouldn’t like to think that I’d never have romantic love in my life again. I think that would be rather a sad way to go through life.”

Adding that she wasn’t "there yet", she did offer up how she would put herself out there when the time came, ruling out dating apps. She said, “I'm of the old school where you lived life, did things you loved and then met people along the way. But maybe that doesn't happen any more."

Kate and Derek met in 2004, set up on a blind date by one of Kate’s former GMTV colleagues. The pair would marry in 2005 and welcome two children together, Darcey and Billy. After contracting Covid-19 in 2020, Derek went on to suffer extreme complications, including damage to his major organs and contracting sepsis.

After a lengthy battle, Derek suffered a cardiac arrest in late 2024, before passing away in early 2024.

As for Liam, who has three children with his ex, journalist Lucy Ward, he has been a bit more vocal about there being a "spark" between the pair.

Appearing on Talk TV with Mark Dolan earlier in the year, Liam opened up about his close friendship with Kate, and how the pair "laugh a lot".

He said, "I’ve known Kate for years and we’ve recently become close. We laugh a lot and really enjoy each other’s company."

He added, "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."

He continued, "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."