Carol Kirkwood fought back tears as she delivered an emotional farewell on her final day on BBC Breakfast, bringing to a close an extraordinary 28-year run that made her one of the most recognisable faces in British morning television.
The beloved weather presenter, 63, had announced earlier this year that she would be stepping back from the BBC after nearly three decades — but nothing could prepare viewers for the deeply moving scenes that unfolded during her final broadcast.
Appearing alongside her longtime colleagues Sally Nugent and Jon Kay, Carol delivered her usual weather segment before joining them on the sofa for one last time. As Jon remarked there was just “one forecast left,” Carol admitted she could “hardly believe it.”
What followed was a flood of tributes, memories and surprises. A montage celebrating her career featured messages from familiar BBC faces including Susanna Reid, Dan Walker, Sian Williams, Steph McGovern, Sophie Raworth and Louise Minchin — alongside nostalgic clips of Carol’s most memorable moments, from glamorous appearances at Wimbledon and Royal Ascot to light-hearted on-air mishaps like her famous fall at the Chelsea Flower Show.
“That was brilliant… happy memories,” Carol said, visibly emotional.
The tone turned even more poignant when the show paid tribute to her late friend and former BBC Breakfast presenter Bill Turnbull, who passed away in 2022. Reflecting on him, Carol shared warmly that he was such a sweetheart, always kind, and would jokingly tell her to behave even when she’d done nothing wrong.
Her colleagues also struggled to hold back emotion. Sally told her that while everyone would miss her, they were incredibly lucky to have had her for so long, adding that this next chapter was a well-deserved “happy ever after.”
Fighting back tears, Carol responded that she felt like the lucky one, saying she had experienced so many privileged moments and felt honoured to have been part of the programme for 28 years. She added that it was time for a new chapter, revealing that she and her husband Steve were now ready to “set off into the sunset” — with plans as simple and joyful as getting some cats and spending more time together.
The surprises didn’t stop there. In a touching moment, Carol was introduced to Larry the Cat — the famed Chief Mouser of Downing Street — before a special message from Prime Minister Keir Starmer praised her warmth, professionalism and reassuring presence in households across the UK.
Back in the studio, Naga Munchetty presented her with a personalised “Little Miss Sunshine” portrait, perfectly capturing the bright personality viewers had come to love.
But perhaps the most emotional moment came when her husband Steve appeared unexpectedly with a huge bouquet of flowers. Admitting he was thrilled to finally have her at home more often, he joked they would be ditching the alarm clock — a luxury after decades of early starts.
Overwhelmed, Carol took Steve’s hand and delivered her final message to viewers — a speech that quickly became the heart of the broadcast.
She said this was a forecast she had known was coming for some time, but that didn’t make it any easier to present. As her voice broke, she reflected on her journey — from tracking storms and chasing sunshine to occasionally getting it wrong — before saying goodbye.
