Carol Kirkwood has opened up about the first thing she did after leaving BBC Breakfast — and it was both symbolic and deeply satisfying.
After nearly three decades of waking up in the middle of the night to deliver the nation’s weather forecast, the beloved presenter revealed she finally threw her alarm clock in the bin, marking the end of a punishing routine that had shaped her life for 28 years.
The 63-year-old meteorologist, who said an emotional goodbye to BBC Breakfast in April, admitted the brutal early starts were the hardest part of the job she loved so much.
For years, Carol’s alarm would go off at 2:45am — a time she described as deeply unnatural, no matter how early she went to bed the night before.
Speaking to The Telegraph, she confessed that the schedule left her living with what felt like a constant, low-level form of jet lag.
Carol Kirkwood has revealed she ‘threw away her alarm clock’ after waving goodbye to her time on BBC Breakfast after nearly three decades on screen
“My last forecast was on April 1,” Carol said. “On April 2, I threw my alarm clock into the bin.”
For fans who watched her brighten up countless mornings, the moment felt like the perfect farewell gesture: one final goodbye to the exhausting routine behind her warm smile and cheerful forecasts.
Carol announced earlier this year that she was stepping away from BBC Breakfast after 28 years on screen. Her decision, she explained, was not because she had stopped loving the job — but because she loved her husband, Steve Randall, even more.
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
Carol bid an emotional farewell to BBC Breakfast last month after 28 years as a weather presenter on the show
The couple married in 2023, and Carol has spoken honestly about wanting more time with him after years of demanding work hours meant they often lived like “ships that pass in the night.”
Now, free from the pressure of pre-dawn starts, Carol says she is enjoying the simple pleasures of life: sitting in the garden, reading in the evening sunshine, enjoying a glass of wine, and finally being able to decide what she wants to do and when she wants to do it.
She also revealed that travel is high on the list of plans she and Steve are excited to enjoy together.
“I’ve loved my job but I love my husband more,” she said, making it clear that this next chapter is about love, freedom and finally reclaiming her time.
Carol is also using her new schedule to focus on writing. Her latest novel is due to be released in hardback in October, and she admitted it is a joy to write properly rather than trying to squeeze creative work into the small gaps left by her demanding BBC routine.
Her final BBC Breakfast broadcast in April was an emotional moment for both Carol and viewers. Sitting alongside Sally Nugent and Jon Kay, she was visibly moved as colleagues, celebrities and fans paid tribute to her remarkable career.
The BBC played heartfelt video messages from stars including Sue Barker, Vicky McClure, Zoe Ball, Clare Balding, Chris Evans, Sir Chris Hoy and Bryan Adams. Former BBC Breakfast faces also shared their love, praising Carol as kind, caring, warm and a true “ray of sunshine.”
Viewers flooded the show with emotional messages, calling her a “national treasure” and thanking her for brightening up even the dullest mornings.
Carol, fighting back tears, reflected on the privilege of being welcomed into people’s homes for almost three decades.
She said the job had given her far more than a career — it had given her memories, friendships and a bond with viewers she would never forget.
“After 28 years as a BBC weather presenter, tracking storms, chasing sunshine and occasionally getting it completely wrong, I’m saying goodbye,” she said during her farewell forecast.
She added that while the maps, graphics and technology had changed over the years, one thing had never changed: the honour of being trusted by the audience.
Now, after decades of telling the nation whether to pack an umbrella, Carol is finally enjoying the luxury of simply watching the weather — instead of presenting it.
And for the woman who spent 28 years waking up before most people had even gone to bed, throwing that alarm clock away may have been the most satisfying forecast of all: a bright new chapter ahead.
