Love Island is widely known as one of television’s most provocative dating programmes, with contestants taking part in kissing games, revealing intimate details about their relationships, and sharing beds with potential partners.
Despite this, Kate Garraway has said she would have no issue with her daughter Darcey, 20, appearing on the ITV reality show.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, the Good Morning Britain host joked: “I’d love to go on Love Island myself, but I’m definitely not ready for a bikini.”
She added: “I’d be completely fine with Darcey taking part, but she insists she’d never do it.”
Kate is the mother of Darcey and her 16-year-old son, William, whom she shared with her late husband Derek Draper. The former Labour adviser passed away in 2024 after suffering heart complications linked to Long Covid.
The broadcaster recently competed on Celebrity Traitors and reflected on the toughest moment of the experience. She explained: “My daughter had only just started university when the first roundtable involving Nico and me took place. In that showdown, one person was her mother, while the other was arguably the most popular contestant in the cast.”
Kate Garraway has revealed she wouldn’t mind if her 20-year-old daughter, Darcey, went on ITV ’s Love Island
It’s one of television’s most provocative dating programmes, with contestants taking part in kissing tasks, revealing intimate details about their sex lives, and even sharing beds with potential partners.
“She said, ‘Oh my God, Mum, what have you done to me? All my friends are saying that if Nico gets eliminated, they’re going to blame you!’”
The Celebrity Traitors star was first linked to her reported new partner, British broadcaster and economist Liam Halligan, in April.
Choosing not to say much about the relationship, Kate simply commented: “Everyone has been incredibly kind about it.”
Kate has previously spoken openly about the mix of grief and sadness she felt when taking her daughter Darcey to university without her late husband, Derek.
She admitted it was particularly difficult seeing other students arrive with both of their parents, who were there to provide practical and emotional support.
Reflecting on the experience in December, she said: “It was an incredibly emotional time. To be honest, we never really expected her to get the grades needed because we thought she might struggle with her A-levels.
“She didn’t achieve outstanding results, but she performed far better than anyone, including her school, had anticipated.
“Derek’s death and everything that followed had taken a huge toll. She had also missed a significant amount of school during lower sixth.
“In the end, things worked out, which brought a huge sense of relief.
“But when it came time for her to leave for university, it was very emotional. I tried not to show how upset I was because I didn’t want her to feel it too strongly, but we both felt the absence of her dad.”
Kate, whose children Darcey and William, both 16, are from her marriage to the late Labour strategist Derek Draper, reflected on the emotional experience of taking her daughter to university. Draper passed away in 2024 after suffering heart-related complications linked to Long Covid.
She described feeling acutely aware of other families arriving together, with parents helping carry belongings into student accommodation.
“It really struck me watching all the parents bringing boxes in,” she said. “Not everyone has both parents there, of course, but that’s how it feels when you’re in that situation. We were juggling all the luggage and at the same time thinking about how proud Derek would have been.”
Kate admitted that the hardest moment came when she left and began the journey home alone, without her husband beside her to share the mix of pride and sadness.
Speaking on the Off Menu podcast, she explained: “Leaving her wasn’t actually the difficult part. She was absolutely fine. But I had a proper cry afterwards because I felt that Derek and I should have been heading off together for something to eat and driving home, both emotional and proud, thinking, ‘We did it. We got her here and helped her reach this point.’
“Instead, I found myself feeling angry that he wasn’t there with me.”