THE real reason for Carol Kirkwood quitting the BBC has seemingly been revealed.

Radio star Chris Evans believes Carol, 63, has made a decision to depart her role at the BBC after meeting her ‘James Bond’ husband Steve whom she married in 2023.
Carol Kirkwood today revealed she is quitting the BBCCredit: PA
Chris Evans spoke about Carol’s BBC departure today on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show on VirginCredit: Supplied
Carol and Chris have long been palsCredit: BBC
Carol married her husband Steve in 2023 and now wants to spend more time with himCredit: Twitter
The Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Virgin was interrupted to announce the breaking news of Carol stepping down.

Chris said on his show this morning: “Some breaking news…This is big news. This is huge, big domestic news. Huge UK national treasure news. This is a big deal. This is a huge deal.

“I’ve known Carol for a long time. She’s been to CarFest with us loads of times… She’s always amazing.”

He later added: “So now she’s leaving today on a Tuesday. It’s a quiet news day, so she’s grabbed the limelight!

“Carol Kirkwood leaving the BBC.”

He then said: “I know she’s recently married because I know her and her hubster and I’ve also seen them around Marlow.

“I suspect they might be house hunting or at least sort of house petting.

“She literally is [one of the nicest people around]. There is no ‘side’ to Carol. It’s sunny side up all the way.

“So she’s leaving the BBC. I wonder where she’s going. I wonder what she’s going to do?”

As Carol departed the BBC, she said, “I love my husband more than my job and a lie in, what’s that?”

Chris then weighed in on his show, saying: “I remember when she met her husband, not like for the definitively first time, but around that time she’s like, ‘I’m seeing a new guy’ and then we all met him because we were hanging out a lot together at the time.

“I don’t know if you’ve ever seen him, but when you do see him you’ll realise why… there’s more than one reason to love anyone, but he’s a bit like James Bond, he’s a bit like a real James Bond and he sort of does the James Bond thing for a living.

“Anyway, that’s enough, I can’t say any more about that because that’s all true.”

Carol broke down in tears this morning as she revealed she is leaving the BBC after more than 25 years.

Carol joined the BBC in 1998 and has been a familiar and much‑loved presence across the BBC’s output, most notably on BBC Breakfast.

Carol has presented the weather to millions of viewers every morning for years, and the news of her departure in April is bound to leave them devastated.

Speaking about her decision to leave, Carol, 63, was clearly emotional as she sat on the sofa with her colleagues Jon Kay and Sally Nugent this morning.

She said: “So, I’m going to be leaving – and it’s really hard, really hard for me to say this because I love my job. I love all of you guys and my weather colleagues and of course all the viewers.

“I’ve been so engaged with for many years…but it’s great – I don’t want to be coming in in my Zimmer frame and saying, “I can’t reach the Northern Isles anymore!”.’

The star explained how she planned to spend more time with her husband Steve, after the Christmas wedding in 2023.

She said: “We only got married a couple of years ago and we’re ships that pass in the night so I’m so looking forward to doing that.”

In a written statement, she added: “It’s been an absolute privilege to bring you the weather every day.

“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.”

She continued: “And 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.

“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.”

Watch The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with The National Lottery on Virgin Radio UK on the Virgin Radio app
Carol is all loved up with her hunky hubb 

‘I love my job… but I love my husband more’: BBC Breakfast bosses ‘devastated’ by Carol Kirkwood’s shock exit as insiders finally reveal the truth behind rumours she was ‘driven out by ageism to be replaced by a younger presenter’… – suong

Carol Kirkwood could have carried on working for the BBC well past retirement age as she was so popular, we can reveal.

The 63-year-old legendary weather presenter stunned colleagues and viewers alike by making her bombshell retirement announcement live on air yesterday morning -saying she wanted to spend more time with her new husband.

The news immediately sparked speculation that, after over two decades in the role, she was being forced out to make way for younger talent.

The corporation has a troubled history over older presenters being sidelined in this way with Miriam O’Reilly even winning an industrial tribunal case for ageism after being dumped from Countryfile.

But it’s understood that Carol’s decision to leave the BBC after 25 took bosses by surprise as they had no intention of replacing her with a younger presenter.

Indeed, an in-joke within the BBC Breakfast management team has long been that ‘there would be riots’ if Carol was ever let go.

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BBC Breakfast bosses ‘devastated’ by Carol Kirkwood’s exit as TV insiders reveal truth behind rumours she was ‘driven out by ageism to be replaced by younger presenter’

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The 63-year-old legendary weather presenter stunned colleagues and viewers alike by making her bombshell retirement announcement live on air yesterday morning – saying she wanted to spend more time with her new husband

Insiders have today told the Daily Mail that the popular star had taken BBC Breakfast bosses by surprise with her decision to quit – and they were devastated by the news.

A source said: ‘Carol’s decision to leave was entirely her call.

‘There was no pressure and age wasn’t a factor – as far as producers were concerned she could have gone on forever.

‘Carol was the mainstay and a big reason why so many viewers tune in so nobody wanted her to leave – indeed she could have gone on for many more years – but once she’d decided they could not stand in her way.’

She said in interviews yesterday that her decision is motivated by the desire to spend more time with husband Steve Randall whom she married in December 2023.

Randall, a police officer 13 years her junior, is himself approaching retirement age and it’s believed the couple have extensive travel plans.

Carol welled up when she announced she was stepping down on air yesterday morning.

Speaking to Sally Nugent and Jon Kay, who both became emotional during the segment, Carol said: ‘I love my job, I’ve loved working at the BBC, but I love my husband more than my job. More than everyone, I should say.

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Speaking to Sally Nugent and Jon Kay, who both became emotional during the segment, Carol said: ‘I love my job, I’ve loved working at the BBC, but I love my husband more than my job. More than everyone, I should say’

‘We only got married a couple of years ago and we’re ships that pass in the night so I’m so looking forward to [spending more time together].

‘The future is rosy and the time is right, absolutely right for me to go.’

She added: ‘I don’t want to be coming in in my Zimmer frame and saying, “I can’t reach the Northern Isles anymore!”’

The BBC has been plagued with ageism rows in recent years as bosses bid to attract younger audiences, as well as making significant financial cuts.

Veteran stars including Sue Barker, Arlene Phillips, Moira Stuart and Ken Bruce saw their roles at the Beeb filled with younger replacements, in some cases to the detriment of viewing figures.

Carol has been the main presenter on BBC Breakfast since 2010, becoming a regular face at Wimbledon, the Chelsea Flower Show and Royal Ascot, as well as in the studio with her clicker.

She began her BBC career as a production secretary and production assistant on, ironically, BBC Breakfast – and had no designs on becoming a meteorologist, leaving the corporation for a time to work in consultancy.

Carol then auditioned for and underwent training at The Weather Channel in the US to become presenter on its short-lived UK edition, before she trained with the BBC and the Met Office to join the corporation full-time.

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Carol has been the main presenter on BBC Breakfast since 2010, becoming a regular face at Wimbledon, the Chelsea Flower Show and Royal Ascot, as well as in the studio with her clicker

She joined the BBC Weather Centre in 1998, and quickly became a familiar face to millions on BBC News and BBC Breakfast.

In 2015, she competed on Strictly Come Dancing and finished eighth alongside dancer Pasha Kovalev, which took place seven years after her split from husband Jimmy Kirkwood.

The former couple had been married for nearly two decades and despite admitting the break-up sparked inner turmoil behind the scenes, the split eventually made Carol come out of her shell.

Speaking to Radio Times, she said: ‘I found myself when I got divorced. I started to do things and to think, “I’m not going to say no, I’m going to say yes!”

‘I’m braver now. I’ve flown with the Red Arrows, jumped out of planes with the Red Devils. When I was younger I would never have done that because I’d have thought, “Too dangerous!” Now I think, “Oh, you’ve got to live your life!”’

Carol married Steve in December 2023 at Cliveden House in Buckinghamshire, and the pair now live together in Windsor.

She told House Beautiful magazine in July 2024: ‘If he’s at home, I’m happy. I don’t need anything else. He’s tall, handsome, kind, gentle, strong, funny, charming.

‘He’s a gentleman. He’s good at cooking. I could wax lyrical about Steve forever.’

Carol had dropped hints that she might leave Breakfast last year – and in a written statement, she added that leaving the broadcaster ‘hasn’t been an easy decision to make’, but added it ‘feels like the right moment to step away’.

She said: ‘It’s been an absolute privilege to bring you the weather every day. 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.

‘And 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.’