Kate Garraway could not be more devoted to her husband Derek Draper, who spent over a year in the hospital battling coronavirus, but she did face some rumours about her Anton Du Beke friendship.
The pair wed in 2005 and were as in love as ever when Kate signed up for Strictly Come Dancing in 2007.
But the following year she had to take legal action when false allegations were made about her relationship with dancer Anton, who she was paired with on the BBC ballroom contest.
Kate Garraway ‘hurt’ by rumours she cheated on husband Derek
The Good Morning Britain star – who said she was “extremely hurt” by the false claims – won her case and Mirror Group Newspapers accepted the allegations were not true.
It also agreed to pay substantial damages to the TV star.
Speaking after winning her legal case in 2008, the presenter said she was glad it was over.
“No one likes to take legal action against a newspaper but I could see no alternative,” she said at the time. “The way my friendship with Anton was twisted into something sordid was terribly unfair and upsetting. I wanted everyone to know that what had been written was completely wrong.”
Derek also spoke out at that time, saying in a statement that the false story had been “deeply upsetting”.
“I have always been glad that Kate and Anton became such good friends. And felt sick when that was distorted into something else entirely,” he said.
He said women and men should be able to be friends “without people leaping to the completely wrong conclusion”.
Anton was also cross about the fake stories
Anton later told the Mail: “I was cross because the suggestion was made that something was going on, when it wasn’t. The people who make these allegations have no concept of the distress they cause. They don’t care. I don’t understand why two people can’t just be friends.”
The dancer noted that Kate had won damages but asked if that was “enough”.
I was cross because the suggestion was made that something was going on, when it wasn’t.
He told the paper that people like that needed to be “made to answer questions”.
Read more: Anton Du Beke reveals secret time in hospital as a child after being stabbed by his dad
“In fact, I think they ought to be slightly humiliated themselves,” said the star.
Anton is back on Strictly on Saturday (September 16) from 6:35pm.
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