Carol Kirkwood

Carol Kirkwood

Kirkwood, August 2008
Born Carol MacKellaig
29 May 1962
Morar, Invernessshire, Scotland
Nationality British
Alma mater Napier University, Edinburgh
Occupation Presenter
Known for BBC Breakfast
Spouse(s) Jimmy Kirkwood (divorced)[1]

Carol Kirkwood is a Scottish weather presenter, employed by the Met Office and best known for forecasting the weather for BBC Breakfast.

Early life

Born Carol MacKellaig in Morar, Invernessshire, she was one of eight children to parents who ran a hotel in Morar.[2] After attending Lochaber High School in Fort William, Kirkwood gained a BA in commerce from Napier College of Commerce and Technology in Edinburgh.[3]

Career

After graduation, Kirkwood joined the BBC's Secretarial Reserve in London and after a series of internal moves presented short slots on BBC Radio Scotland, and then BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 4.[4] After marrying, she left the BBC and subsequently worked as an Associate Director in recruitment, and then as a training consultant for a management consultancy in Cheshire.[2][3]

Kirkwood rejoined the BBC at Elstree Studios training department in 1993 as a freelance presenter, during which time she presented a bi-monthly programme Talking Issues for HTV West.[4] In 1996 Kirkwood joined the new UK operation of The Weather Channel, but after it closed down she underwent training under the guidance of the BBC at the Met Office, before joining BBC News in April 1998 as a weather presenter.[4] She has since appeared regularly across all of BBC Weather's output on both radio and television, including BBC News, BBC World News, BBC News at Six and the live forecasts as part of the BBC's coverage of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships.

Kirkwood is the main weather presenter on BBC Breakfast.[4] After the show moved to MediaCityUK in Salford in 2013, she stayed in London but still presents the weather on Breakfast via video link.[5] She fronted the BBC's The Weather Show and is also a regular contributor and reporter for BBC1's The One Show.[3] In 2011, Kirkwood co-presented BBC One's The Great British Weather.[6] She won the TRIC award for best TV Weather Presenter in 2003, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013 and 2014.[4] She also presents the weather on BBC Radio 2's Chris Evans Breakfast Show. Kirkwood has appeared as a guest on CBBC's children's show Hacker Time.[4] In 2013 she appeared on BBC One panel show Would I Lie to You?.[7]

References