Carol Kirkwood, the beloved BBC Breakfast weather presenter, retired in April 2026 after 28 years on the show. Now 64, she lives with her husband Steve Randall in Bray, an exclusive riverside village near London where average detached homes cost over £1 million. She says retirement is busier than working but she's 'living the dream'.
Retirement and Marriage
Kirkwood left her job voluntarily to spend more time with Randall, whom she married in 2023. She told Yours magazine: 'I loved being a weather presenter. I loved my job, and it was my choice to leave, because I love my husband more, and we want to do things together.' The couple met in 2017, and Randall proposed near their home in Bray five years later. Their wedding at Cliveden was 'small and intimate'. Kirkwood was previously married to businessman Jimmy Kirkwood for 25 years, divorcing in 2008. She told the Times: 'Love is lovelier the second time around. No disrespect to my first husband, but this is better.'
Life in Bray
Kirkwood described their home to HouseBeautiful in 2024 as 'a small, quite contemporary detached house near Windsor' with a manageable garden. She enjoys pottering in the garden, a contrast to her childhood in the Highlands. She added: 'If he's at home, I'm happy. I don't need anything else. He's tall, handsome, kind, gentle, strong, funny, charming. He's a gentleman.' Bray is known for its three Michelin three-star restaurants, including Heston Blumenthal's The Fat Duck (meals £365 per head) and The Waterside Inn, Kirkwood's favourite.
Travel and Hobbies
Since retiring, Kirkwood and Randall have travelled to Italy and saw The Eagles at The Sphere in Las Vegas. Their bucket list includes return trips to America and Australia, plus a visit to India. Kirkwood is an avid reader of all genres and collects mugs from holidays. She also loves sparkly items, citing a £3.99 charity shop sequin cushion as a favourite bargain.
