Forecaster Carol Kirkwood reveals childhood dream job and how she came close to fulfilling it
SCOTS telly favourite Carol Kirkwood once dreamed of being a Blue Peter presenter - but only ended up working in the show’s famous garden after she became a weather girl, she has revealed.
The 62-year-old has been a forecaster at the BBC for three decades.
But before she shot to fame she harboured ambitions of being on the children’s show, which is famed for its badges.
Married Carol now lives in Berkshire, but was born in Morar, Inverness-shire.
She said: “The irony of that is I ended up in the Blue Peter garden presenting the weather for about 12 years.”
The garden was relocated from London to Salford in 2011.
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It was often used for forecasts during the summer months.
In 1993, Kirkwood joined the BBC’s television training department at Elstree as a presenter.
She got a job with the BBC Weather Centre team in 1998. She has been a regular on our screens ever since. She said:
“I didn’t even want to do the weather when I first started and was asked if I would go for an interview.
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"BBC Breakfast, to me, is the best job in the world and I did not think I would still be doing it.
"Not at this age for sure and not for as long.
“I’m the longest-serving BBC Breakfast presenter full stop ever and hopefully I’ll be there for a few years yet.”
The presenter has had a rough time with dogs in the past.
Last summer, Kirkwood was mid-forecast at Wimbledon when her canine co-star for the day decided to disappear offscreen, taking the presenter with him.
A near identical incident happened at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2021.
She added: “I love animals, but it has happened twice. What is it about dogs?”
Kirkwood’s fourth book, Once Upon a Time in Venice - a romance novel - is out this month.