BBC weather presenter Carol Kirkwood has revealed that a serious bout of food poisoning at the start of 2025 caused her to lose around one and a half dress sizes. The 63-year-old, who left the broadcaster after more than 25 years on Wednesday, said the illness prompted a complete reassessment of her lifestyle and eating habits.
Speaking to OK magazine, Kirkwood explained that after the food poisoning she ate just two slices of toast for two days and was not hungry. She said: 'I'm a snacker. I love chocolate, a glass of wine, crisps, and I thought, "Right, you don't need all this food". Now I eat when I'm hungry rather than just eating because I can.'
Kirkwood, who previously described her weight as 'a state secret', now fits into a size 10 and occasionally a size 8. She said she has been able to wear old clothes again, feeling like she has a whole new wardrobe. She dismissed rumours that she used weight-loss injections, saying: 'I have had a couple of emails saying, "It's obvious you're doing this." Each to their own... but I'm glad I'm doing it this way.'
Her daily routine starts at 2.45am. After her shift, she eats a toasted pitta with rocket, tomatoes, sweetcorn, peppers and chicken, and in the evening might have another pitta with hummus. She said: 'I've done every single diet going but now I'm not depriving myself of anything. If I want a piece of chocolate, I'll have it, but then I actually don't. It's like somebody's flipped a switch in my head.'
Kirkwood announced her departure from the BBC earlier this year, saying she wanted to spend more time with her husband Steve Randall, whom she married in 2023. She said: 'I love my job, I've loved working at the BBC, but I love my husband more than my job. More than everyone, I should say.'
