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For nearly 30 years, Carol Kirkwood’s day traditionally started in the early hours, often waking at 2:45am while most of the country slept. This long-standing routine, however, is now a thing of the past as she has recently stepped away from her role at the BBC. She regards ditching the early alarm as one of the changes she is most looking forward to, declaring it is “well and truly going in the bin.”
Carol Kirkwood, who became the main weather presenter for BBC Breakfast in 2010 after beginning her BBC career on the news channel, has been a familiar and trusted face for millions of viewers. She reflects on her 28 years with the corporation, emphasizing how much she enjoyed presenting weather outside the studio. “You meet members of the public who are always so lovely and kind to me,” she says. While it’s difficult for her to single out one highlight, she fondly recalls reporting from events like Wimbledon and the Chelsea Flower Show. She adds, “I’ve reported from so many beautiful places and visited a lot of the country that I might not otherwise have seen.”
In recent weeks, Kirkwood was touched by several recognitions that made her departure even more emotional. While doing a weather report at the Tower of London, she was presented with a rare gold poppy, a gesture she found surprisingly kind. She also shares a poignant moment when she was moved to tears after the RHS Garden Wisley named its weather station in her honor. “The thing is you just go to work to do your job – you don’t realise how appreciated you are,” she explains. Though she will miss her day-to-day work, it is her colleagues she will miss the most. “It’s undoubtedly the people that make a job and it’s so sad saying goodbye to them because I’ve known so many of them for decades,” she says.
Looking ahead, Carol is excited about embracing retirement and spending more quality time with her husband Steve Randall, whom she married in 2023. They have made travel plans including trips to France and Italy, and she is eager to enjoy the flexibility that no longer having an early wake-up call offers. With a passion for walking and a desire to experience life while still fit and healthy, she reflects on the importance of seizing the moment. Beyond travel, Carol is also focusing on her writing career, with her sixth romance novel due in October, plus plans for additional books. She even hopes to learn guitar and get a couple of cats. Despite beginning her career when weather presentation was much simpler, with static symbols representing conditions, she has witnessed considerable changes in technology and the impact of climate change over the years. Kirkwood encourages anyone aspiring to follow a similar path to “always follow your dreams and put yourself out there,” reminding that trying is the first step to success. Now, after a distinguished career, Carol Kirkwood’s long-awaited retirement “can finally begin.”
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