BBC Breakfast star Carol Kirkwood rarely shares details about her private affairs but the TV star has on odd occasion made off-the-cusp remarks about her life.
The weather expert has been on a bit of a rollercoaster journey, especially in more recent times. The much-loved TV star suffered “devastating” heartbreak later down the line.
Much to everyone’s joy, Carol did manage to pick herself up and went on to find love again. The meteorologist even gushed to her co-stars that she simply “couldn’t be happier”.
There’s much more than meets the eye, when it comes to Carol, including a second career away from BBC screens, with the television personality showcasing that her talents spread far wider than just the weather.
Here we take a look at her life off-screen, from heartache, an intimate wedding reception – that wasn’t a secret – and Carol’s hidden job which is a million miles away from TV career.
Marriage breakdown
The BBC Breakfast weather correspondent had been married to professional cricket ace Jimmy Kirkwood, from Northern Ireland. In 1990, when Carol was just 28, she kick started her career at the BBC and also said ‘I do’ to her sports star husband.
After decades of marriage, the pair confirmed they were parting ways in 2008, leaving Carol “devastated”. The weather expert had kept a tight lip about divorce, until she turned age 61 and turned to Kaye Adams’ How To Be 60 podcast.
On the show, she opened up for the first time ever, explaining her marriage breakdown was her “hardest year” in life.
When asked about her toughest moments, Carol told the host: “Probably the year I got divorced. I didn’t expect that to happen, and it was shocking. It was pretty devastating at the time, but it led to better things after that.”
She added: “I think that was probably the hardest year, that or when my dad died.”
Feeling lost
After Carol’s split from Jimmy, for reasons that still to this day remain unknown, she admitted it was really tough trying to find herself again.
They had been together for so many years that they’d been set in their ways when it came to tasks around the house. Jimmy had his own roles and responsibilities, as did the weather expert.
The former married couple were so used to the way they appraoched life, that when Carol was single again she found it hard having to pick up things Jimmy once covered.
She admitted to Kaye’s podcast: “It was a transition between being married and being divorced and suddenly being on your own.”
Speaking about her husband taking care of the banking and paperwork, she added: “All of that was new to me at the ripe old age in my 40s. You were a wee bit lost, but you get on with it.”
Finding love again
Thankfully for BBC Breakfast fans Carol did get her happily ever after. As the years passed, she moved on and met her now-husband Steve Randall.
She’d been introduced to Steve at a function that she attended with TV star Steph McGovern – and the rest, as they say, is history.
The couple were engaged in 2022 and went on to tie the knot at the end of 2023 in an intimate ceremony. Carol being an extremely private person kept the wedding under wraps which led to speculation she’d been hitched in secret.
At the time, the weather star addressed speculation on the BBC Breakfast stating that “it wasn’t a secret” and that she’d merely opted for an intimate ceremony in Buckinghamshire instead.
Upon returning to her TV role, the newlywed star gushed to her co-star Jon Kay: “Jon, I cannot tell you how fabulous it’s been! You shouldn’t really be talking like this about your own wedding, but it was blissful! It was romantic, it was absolutely perfect.”
She added: “I would not change a thing about the day. It was very small as well and intimate, so you didn’t have to worry that Auntie Nelly didn’t have a glass of sherry in her hand! It was brilliant.”
Hidden career
Back in 2023, Carol Kirkwood stunned BBC viewers when she revealed a “secret” career. The meteorologist lifted the lid on her flare and passion for writing.
Taking to The One Show to share details about up and coming projects when she wasn’t hosting the weather, Carol revealed she’s deeply invested in creating romance novels as she took to the show to launch her new book.
Carol was promoting Secrets of the Villa Amore but many fans had no idea it wasn’t even her first book – with the star already seeing much success with Under a Greek Moon and The Hotel on the Riviera.
Speaking to host Alex Scott, the weather expert teased the book including “romance, betrayal, murder and scandal,” admitting that her new book was “darker” than its predecessors.
She explained: “It’s still a romance, in essence, and it’s still got twists and turns and jeopardy and stuff like that in it. But I just wanted just to try something a little bit different.”
BBC Breakfast airs every day on BBC One from 6am.