Carol Kirkwood Announces BBC Departure for European Travel Adventure
BBC Breakfast's beloved weather presenter Carol Kirkwood has confirmed her plans to leave the corporation after nearly three decades, revealing her intention to embark on an extensive European travel adventure with her second husband. The 63-year-old broadcasting veteran made the emotional announcement live on air, telling co-presenters Jon Kay and Sally Nugent about her decision to prioritise personal life over her long-standing television career.
Retirement Plans and Travel Ambitions
Kirkwood disclosed that she and her husband Steve Randall, who is thirteen years her junior, have been planning their retirement escape for many months. The couple are currently deliberating between travelling in a camper van or simply taking their car across the Channel to France before exploring Europe at their leisure. The presenter emphasised that this decision represents a conscious choice to spend more quality time with her partner, describing their current lifestyle as "ships that pass in the night" due to conflicting work schedules.
"I want to spend more time with my gorgeous husband Steve," Kirkwood told her BBC Breakfast colleagues during her announcement. "We're ships that pass in the night, so I'm really looking forward to doing that. We want to travel as well. I've loved my job, I've loved working at the BBC, but I love my husband more than my job."
Hints of Departure and Personal Reflections
The television personality had previously dropped strong hints about her impending departure during the summer months, suggesting she wouldn't reach her 30th anniversary forecasting Britain's changeable weather patterns. Kirkwood explained that research for her fifth novel, Meet Me at Sunset, had taken the couple to Majorca where they fell in love with the location and solidified their travel ambitions.
Kirkwood's marriage to Steve Randall represents her second union, following an 18-year marriage to property developer Jimmy Kirwood that ended in what she described as a "devastating" divorce. The weather presenter married Randall in an intimate ceremony at Cliveden House in 2023, with just the couple in attendance, describing the day as "the most perfect" despite Storm Gerrit raging outside.
Career Background and Fan Following
With 27 years as a fixture on BBC Breakfast, Kirkwood has built what she describes as an "army of fans" who will undoubtedly miss her cheerful presence and reliable forecasts. Her broadcasting journey began when she joined the BBC as a secretary in London after graduating from what is now Edinburgh Napier University with a commerce degree.
Her career progression saw her become a freelance presenter by 1993, followed by a stint at The Weather Channel before undertaking formal training at the Met Office. Since joining BBC News in 1998, she has become the main weather presenter on BBC Breakfast, remaining in London when the programme relocated its base to Salford in 2012.
Perspective on Age Gap and Relationship
Addressing the thirteen-year age difference with her husband, Kirkwood has been characteristically forthright about her perspective. She told Saga Magazine that other people's opinions about their age gap don't matter, stating emphatically: "I don't feel he is younger than me." The presenter described meeting her police officer husband as a matter of fate, occurring at a function neither particularly wanted to attend, creating what she called a "Sliding Doors moment."
Reflecting on her current relationship compared to her first marriage, Kirkwood declared in 2024: "Love is lovelier the second time around. No disrespect to my first husband, but this is better." Her retirement announcement marks the beginning of a new chapter focused on personal fulfilment and shared adventures with her partner.
