After spending nearly three decades waking the nation up on BBC Breakfast, beloved weather presenter Carol Kirkwood has finally opened up about the hidden toll her job took behind the scenes.
Speaking candidly after leaving the BBC programme earlier this year, Carol admitted the most difficult part of the job was forcing herself out of bed at an almost unimaginable hour every single day.
“I had to set my alarm for 2:45am, and that’s not a natural time to get up,” she revealed.
Even after years of doing it, the presenter said her body never truly adapted.
“For years now, I’ve suffered from a low-grade version of jet lag.”
The heartbreaking confession left many viewers stunned, especially as Carol had always appeared cheerful and energetic on screen despite the punishing routine happening behind closed doors.
And in a symbolic moment that perfectly captured her relief after stepping away from the show, Carol admitted she wasted no time saying goodbye to the thing she hated most.
“My last forecast was on April 1, and on April 2, I threw my alarm clock into the bin.”
“I loved my job… but I love my husband more”
While fans were devastated by her departure, Carol explained that her decision ultimately came down to wanting her life back — and wanting more time with her husband, former police officer Steve Randall.
“I’ve loved my job, but I love my husband more.”
The TV favourite emotionally admitted the demanding BBC schedule had left the couple living like:
“Ships that pass in the night.”
For years, Carol’s life revolved around impossibly early bedtimes, sleepless mornings, and constant exhaustion, leaving little room for normal married life.
Sources close to the presenter say she finally realised she no longer wanted her career to come before her personal happiness.
Now, Carol says she feels freer than she has in decades.
“There’s been a sense of clearing in my head.”
The presenter revealed she is finally enjoying simple pleasures most people take for granted — sitting in the garden with a book, enjoying the evening sunshine, and relaxing with a glass of wine without worrying about a 2:45am alarm.
Emotional final goodbye leaves viewers in tears
When Carol officially signed off from BBC Breakfast in April, the emotional farewell left viewers heartbroken.
Fighting back tears, she reflected on her extraordinary 28-year career at the BBC.
“After 28 years as a BBC weather presenter, tracking storms, chasing sunshine, and occasionally getting it completely wrong, I’m saying goodbye.”
She also looked back fondly on her early days at the broadcaster, joking:
“The graphics were simpler, the maps were clunkier, and I had a lot less grey hair than this.”
But the most emotional moment came as she thanked loyal viewers who had welcomed her into their homes every morning for nearly three decades.
“Thank you for trusting me… whether it was heatwaves, snow, or simply asking, ‘Do I need to take a brolly?’”
Clearly overwhelmed, Carol added:
“I’m really going to miss you.”
Now, after years of sacrificing sleep, family time, and her own wellbeing for live television, Carol Kirkwood is finally embracing a brand-new chapter — one without brutal alarms, exhausting schedules, or life lived in the middle of the night.
