“I’m really going to miss you”: Carol Kirkwood Waves Goodbye to BBC Breakfast
After nearly thirty years brightening up British mornings, Carol Kirkwood has delivered her final weather forecast on BBC Breakfast, leaving fans and colleagues reflecting on her legendary run. What will the days look like without her sunny presence on screen?
Anyone who’s tuned in to BBC Breakfast in the past two decades knows the voice and warmth of Carol Kirkwood. She joined the BBC Weather Centre in April 1998 and became BBC Breakfast’s on-air meteorologist in 2010. Her retirement this week brings an extraordinary 28-year run to a close. Her swan song aired on Wednesday, April 1st, 2026—a bittersweet celebration for fans, colleagues, and Carol herself.
A Legacy of Early Mornings and Smiles
If you think waking up for work is tough, imagine starting your day at 2:45 am, as Carol did for years to help millions plan their days. That alarm clock is now, as she said:
"well and truly going in the bin".
Not a moment too soon. At 63—turning 64 in May—Carol decided it was time to honour herself and her new life, having married police officer Steve Randall in 2023 after a period of loss:
"I'm not getting any younger, I'm newly married and we've had some losses in our lives recently."
Throughout nearly three decades, she’s covered national favourites like Wimbledon and the Chelsea Flower Show. She even stood in the rain at the Tower of London, and made garden fans’ hearts flutter when RHS Garden Wisley renamed their weather station after her.
"I’ve reported from so many beautiful places and visited a lot of the country that I might not otherwise have seen."
Goodbyes and Accolades: “Thank You for Trusting Me”
Carol’s final broadcast felt like a national event. The special three-hour show included gifts, surprise reunions, and video tributes from high-profile fans. Keir Starmer, Bryan Adams—who sent the message:
"Hi Carol, just wanted to say thanks for all the great weather reports over the years and good luck wherever you land"—and a host of TV personalities made appearances to honour her influence.
BBC’s Jon Kay assured her:
"Your legacy will continue" and presenter Sally Nugent remarked, "You have changed the way weather has been reported on television."
There was laughter when she reunited with the dog who once sent her tumbling live on air in 2021. There were also tears. Brian Cox read a poem in her honour. Carol’s own words summed up the intensity:
"This is a forecast I’ve known for quite a while was coming, but that doesn’t make it easier to present because, after 28 years as a BBC weather presenter – tracking storms, chasing sunshine and occasionally getting it completely wrong – I'm saying goodbye."
Her husband’s bouquet and a custom “Little Miss Sunshine” portrait from illustrator Adam Hargreaves made the moment “surreal and emotional.” Carol cherished every viewer:
"Thank you for trusting me – you’ve been the constant in all of this and I’ve never taken that for granted. I’m really going to miss you."
“A New Chapter”: What Lies Ahead
Looking forward, Carol seems ready to embrace a slower pace.
"I cannot wait to sit in the garden in the summer in the evening or go to the theatre without worrying about the lack of sleep I would get."
She hopes to travel to France and Italy, finally learn the guitar, adopt "a couple of cats," and simply enjoy days without a 2:45 alarm.
Her creativity isn’t taking a back seat. Carol’s sixth romantic novel launches in October, and she’s signed on for at least two more books. Her career evolved alongside TV weather technology too:
"We had little symbols of a sun and a cloud that would cover a whole area and that would be it... Now we have 3D graphics that move across the area which is a lot clearer and easier to understand."
Of course, she notes one change with a touch of sadness:
"We used to have four definitive seasons and now they are such a muddle because of climate change."
Farewell, But Never Forgotten
The curtain may have fallen on Carol’s daily weather updates, but fans can find comfort in knowing her legacy lives on in the hands of new BBC Breakfast weatherman Matt Taylor. She also shares advice for future presenters:
"Always follow your dreams and put yourself out there" and "If you followed your dreams and they don't come true then at least you know you would have tried."
For Carol Kirkwood, it’s time for a different adventure. Will she miss the whirlwind of studio life? Absolutely. But as she puts it:
"I should get on with my retirement and that's what I'm going to do."
Read more:
“Surrounded by love” Mel Schilling’s moving legacy after her brave battle
Coleen Nolan breaks silence after son’s ex accuses star of being ‘cruel bully’
Emmerdale's Amy Walsh gives birth to second child with EastEnders star husband
Sources used:
Carol Kirkwood: Why the time is right for me to retire - and what's next
BBC Breakfast weather legend Carol Kirkwood retires after nearly 30 years | The Independent
