Emotional Farewell: Carol Kirkwood to Depart BBC After Over 25 Years

Carol Kirkwood, the cherished weather presenter, has announced her departure from the BBC after an impressive career spanning over 25 years. The 63-year-old became emotional during her announcement on BBC Breakfast, expressing the difficulty of her decision, saying it was ‘really hard for me to say this because I love my job’. Kirkwood, who began her journey with the BBC in 1998, is set to leave in April and has ‘loved every minute’ of her experience there.

Following her morning weather forecast, Kirkwood joined co-presenters on the Breakfast sofa, sharing that she is looking forward to spending more time with her husband, Steve, and traveling the world. She warmly hugged her fellow presenters, Jon Kay and Sally Nugent, confessing, ‘I didn’t want to get emotional, but you two are my friends, and I love you dearly.’ Kirkwood elaborated on her plans to spend quality time with her husband, saying, ‘We only got married a couple of years ago and we’re ships that pass in the night, so I’m really looking forward to doing that. We want to travel as well.’

She humorously pondered about adapting to life without early-morning alarms, joking, ‘What is a lie in? I have no idea. Alarm clocks will be a thing of the past.’ Despite how difficult this decision was, she believes it is the right time to step back, cherishing ‘the most wonderful memories’ she’s garnered.

Kirkwood received her meteorological training from The Weather Channel, the Met Office, and the BBC before joining the BBC Weather Centre in April 1998. After broadcasting on the BBC News channel, she regularly appeared on BBC One and has been the primary weather presenter on BBC Breakfast since 2010.

The role has been an ‘absolute privilege’, Kirkwood noted, and she has never taken it for granted. She expressed immense gratitude to viewers at home, mentioning how being a part of their mornings has been a joy. Over the years, she has often presented from sports events, including Wimbledon, and showcased her dancing skills on Strictly Come Dancing in 2015 alongside professional dancer Pasha Kovalev.