Garraway went to Fitzharrys School in Abingdon, Oxfordshire (also the base of ITV Thames Valley). She then graduated from Bath College of Higher Education (later known as Bath Spa University) with a BA in English and History. Her broadcasting career began with BBC Radio Oxford, and she had become an Independent Television News trainee journalist by 1994.

A year later, Garraway joined Central News as a production journalist, reporter and news presenter. It was during her time there that she was 'talent-spotted' by Meridian Broadcasting's head of news, who poached her (after seeing one of three minute bulletins) to become the main presenter of their nightly news magazine Meridian Tonight. This offered enough visibility on a wider stage to be selected as part of the team of presenters who launched the BBC's 24-hour rolling news channel - BBC News 24, now BBC News channel - in 1997, a period which would include the anchoring of such stories as the signing of the Good Friday Agreement.

In 1998, Nick Pollard, Head of Sky News, offered Garraway a new presenting role; she joined their breakfast programme Sunrise and became one of the show's anchors, alongside Martin Stanford, covering stories such as the Kosovo crisis, the Paddington rail crash, the Turkish earthquakes and the Iraq bombing.

Garraway joined GMTV in September 2000 as a cover news presenter for Penny Smith, She later gained the role of main anchor, and was promoted to leading anchor after the resignation of Fiona Phillips.

Garraway appeared in the fifth series of the BBC's hit celebrity ballroom competition series Strictly Come Dancing, partnered with professional dancer Anton du Beke. During rehearsals for the show Garraway was injured and had to stop training for several weeks. As a consequence Garraway was unable to participate in the group dance in the first live show. The following week, ladies night, Garraway was able to dance albeit with only three days practice. Whilst Garraway was praised for managing to perform, her dancing was heavily criticised by the judges. However, despite being bottom of the leaderboard Garraway was saved by the public vote. In subsequent weeks Garraway continued to get the lowest score from the judges but then to be saved by the public vote.

In the fifth week, given her previous performances, there was a surprising improvement in Garraway's dancing as she received higher marks from the judges than three other couples. However, this proved to be a one-off and the following week Garraway was again at the bottom of the leaderboard, eventually being voted off in week seven.

In February 2008, she launched legal action against the Sunday Mirror after it published a photograph of her embracing Strictly Come Dancing partner Anton du Beke, insinuating that they were having an affair, which both Garraway and du Beke denied.

Garraway has also made numerous television appearances on shows such as:

She appeared as a guest on GMTV with her new baby, 3 month-old Billy, on Friday, 2 August 2009; her colleagues Andrew Castle and Emma Crosby presented the programme.

She returned as a GMTV presenter on Monday, 16 November 2009.