Carol Kirkwood leaving the BBC after 28 years
Carol Kirkwood has announced that she is leaving the BBC after 28 years of presenting the weather to viewers.
Carol Kirkwood is leaving the BBC after 28 years.
The 63-year-old star - best known for giving the weather forecast on BBC Breakfast - will leave in April, and has "loved every minute" of her time at the corporation.
Carol - who won best TV weather presenter at the TV and Radio Industries Club (TRIC) Awards multiple times - said: "This hasn't been an easy decision to make, but it feels like the right moment to step away.
"I'll carry with me the most wonderful memories."
And the star - who has been a weather presenter on BBC Breakfast since 2010 - said it has been an "absolute privilege" to have presented the weather for millions of viewers every day.
She added: "My job is something I've never taken for granted, and I've loved every minute.
"From early starts and all manner of forecasts, I've shared it with incredible colleagues at BBC Breakfast, BBC Weather and programmes across the BBC. I'd like to thank them for their support and friendship, which has meant the world."
Carol continued: "To those watching and listening at home - thank you for all the kindness you have shown me over the years, being part of your mornings has been a joy."
Carol trained as a meteorologist at The Weather Channel and the Met Office before she joined BBC News in April 1998 as a weather presenter.
The star made regular appearances on the corporation's weather output for radio and TV, including BBC News, BBC World News, and BBC News at Six.
Carol also presented live forecasts on location, as part of the BBC's coverage of big events, including the Wimbledon tennis championships, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and royal events.
And Jonathan Munro, the interim CEO of BBC News, thanked Carol for her "exceptional" service.
He added: "From major national moments to the everyday forecasts that are such an important part of our audiences' lives, she has set the gold standard for our accurate, valued journalism - always delivered with an appropriately sunny outlook.
"She will be greatly missed by teams across the BBC. We wish her all the best for the future."
