Carol Kirkwood has revealed she 'threw away her alarm clock' after waving goodbye to her time on BBC Breakfast, celebrating having time to 'do what she wants when she wants' after nearly three decades on screen. The meteorologist and weather presenter announced she would be walking away from the series back in January with a tearful on-screen announcement to viewers.
Carol, 63, then delivered her final broadcast in April, admitting at the time she planned to spend more time with her husband, police officer Steve Randall. Now, the presenter has admitted she's relishing not having to stick to the BBC Breakfast schedule, admitting 'the hours' were the worst part about the job.
She told The Telegraph: 'I had to set my alarm at 2:45am and that’s not a natural time to get up, even if you’ve gone to bed at seven o’clock the previous evening. For years now, I’ve suffered from a low-grade version of jet lag. My last forecast was on April 1; on April 2, I threw my alarm clock into the bin.'
'I’ve loved my job but I love my husband more, and now I want us to be more than ships that pass in the night... I’m hugely looking forward to fulfilling some of our dreams. Top of the list will be travel.' Carol revealed that since throwing away her alarm clock, she had felt 'a sense of clearing in her head', realising she can do 'what I want, when I want'.
The TV star admitted that among her favourite activities were 'sitting in the garden in the evening sunshine and reading a book with a glass of wine'. Carol has also been busy 'writing her latest novel rather than squeezing it in between the demands of her crazy schedule' - with her latest novel due out in hardback in October.
Back in April, Carol's husband Steve revealed the reasons the weather presenter quit BBC Breakfast. Just before Carol waved goodbye to the show, she was joined by her husband Steve, who appeared with a large bunch of flowers from him and the BBC team. Holding hands and looking lovingly at one another, Carol revealed of what they have coming up: 'Lots of travels, we've got lots of things planned. We're really looking forward to watching Matt in the morning saying the weather is going to be rubbish! And we will say, "Let's head off in the car somewhere".'
Steve added: 'It's going to be the best ever [having Carol at home more], and the first thing to go is the alarm clock. That can go!' The presenter struggled to hold it together as she delivered her final forecast on April 1, even as she was met with loving well-wishes in a VT from her fellow BBC co-stars.
Carol was seen joining Sally, 54, and Jon, 56, in the studio for the last time, smiling for the cameras as she revealed what fans could expect from the weather this week. She went on to join Sally and Jon on the sofa at the end of her broadcast, who thanked her for providing details for a 'few days ahead' so they could continue to have a 'Carol forecast' even after her departure.
Sally began: 'I don't know if you know Carol, but you have changed the way weather is reported on television in lots of ways, whether you're on the map or out on location, whether you're meeting our viewers... You've been broadcasting from massive events over the years.' Carol went on to list: 'The Chelsea Flower Show, Wimbledon, the poppies at the Tower of London, Royal Ascot, there have been so many.'
The BBC then played an emotional VT from other stars at the BBC sending Carol their well-wishes, including Sue Barker, Vicky McClure, Paul Merton, Zoe Ball, Clare Balding, Chris Evans and Sir Chris Hoy. A second tribute VT also saw Charlie Stayt, Louise Minchin, Sian Williams, Susanna Reid and Dan Walker gush over 'lovely, kind and caring' Carol as they remembered her time on screen over the years.
The messages included telling Carol she was a 'ray of sunshine', 'great friend' and told her how she 'brought smiles to so much of the nation' as they predicted that audiences would 'really miss her.' Sally and Jon also surprised Carol with a message from Bryan Adams, who thanked her for 'all the great weather reports over the years,' leaving her in shock.
'That was lovely,' Carol gushed over the series of videos as it came to an end, adding: 'It's lovely to have made such brilliant friends, all genuinely lovely people.' Jon then read out some of the messages sent in by viewers for Carol, who admitted they were emotional to wave goodbye to the weather presenter.
They said: 'We're going to miss Carol so much, she rarely misses Shetland in the forecast and we always appreciate that. We wish her all best wishes;' 'I hope Carol enjoys her last shift at the BBC, she has been a steady presence for us in a chaotic world;' 'Carol, thank you for being a bright star on many a dull morning;' 'Your smile has brightened up every forecast no matter what the weather BBC Breakfast won't be the same without you;' 'Good luck Carol Kirkwood... she's a national treasure and BBC Breakfast won't be the same without her;' 'Best wishes Carol in your retirement. You are an icon and I will miss you very much, sweet lady;'
Carol concluded that it hadn't quite hit her yet that she was leaving the show, adding: 'I'm in denial, and I expect I will rock up on Monday... It's going to be weird not speaking to all our lovely audience, not seeing the crew both in front and behind the camera not just on BBC Breakfast but at BBC Weather. It's going to be different and I'm going to miss everyone horribly.'
The trio also looked back on Carol's career, from being a production assistant on BBC Breakfast before becoming the resident meteorologist for three decades. She concluded: 'I'm going to try and get through this. This is a forecast I've known for quite a while was coming, but that doesn't make it any easier to present. After 28 years as a BBC weather presenter, tracking storms, chasing sunshine, and occasionally getting it completely wrong, I'm saying goodbye.'
'When I first walked into this studio, I could never have imagined what was ahead. Back then the graphics were simpler, the maps were a bit clunkier and I had a lot less grey hair than this. But one thing has never changed, and that is the privilege and honour of being welcomed into your homes. Thank you for trusting me, be it telling you about heatwaves or snow, to big national events and the every day question of: "Do I need to take a brolly?"'
'You've been the constant in all of this, and I've never taken that for granted. I'm really going to miss you... I owe you all so much. This job has given me so much more than a career, it's given me memories, I'll carry them forever. Friendships I treasure deeply. It's time for a new chapter, a bit more time with Steve, and perhaps the luxury of watching the weather instead of presenting it. Thank you for letting me be part of your lives.'
Back in March, Carol explained: 'My last shift on air will be on April 1, and it's not an April Fools! I can't believe it's coming around so quickly...' Joking about the final eight early starts she will have to go through before exiting the programme, Carol added: 'First thing I'll do is throw my alarm in the bin.' 'Oh it's going to be sad,' she continued. 'It's a really happy thing as well, but I'm going to miss you guys and everyone, the viewers as well.'
Back in January, Carol broke down as she made the announcement that she was due to leave, explaining that she 'loved her husband more than her job.' The Met Office-trained star choked up as she said: 'So, I'm going to be leaving - and it's really hard, really hard for me to say this because I love my job. But it's great - I don't want to be coming in in my Zimmer frame and saying, "I can't reach the Northern Isles anymore!"' Discussing spending more time with her husband, she added: 'We only got married a couple of years ago and we're like ships that pass in the night, so I'm so looking forward to doing that.'
