Latest news with #Carol
Daily Record
12 hours ago
- Climate
- Daily Record
Carol Kirkwood says 'they're my own mistakes' as she talks misconception on BBC Breakfast
Meteorologist Carol Kirkwood addressed a common misconception about her appearance on BBC Breakfast, following a discussion about potentially stepping back from her duties BBC Breakfast 's weather presenter Carol Kirkwood has revealed she has no help with her on-screen wardrobe choices, contrary to what viewers might assume. The 63-year-old was seemingly taken aback by the assumption of her having a stylist, and humorously described her fashion decisions as her "own mistakes". During an appearance on BBC Radio 2 's Tracks Of My Years, host Gary Davies said: "You just look like summer has arrived, every single morning, you do and that's why I think we all love you." Curious about her outfit choices, he then asked: "How do you decide what to wear every day, is this all you or do you have a team?". Carol responded with a chuckle: "You're having a laugh, a team to sort out my outfits? "No, it's all me and often it's what's ironed, what's washed and what's clean, 'Lovely, that'll do', because it's not a fashion show for me. "I don't want to be what you talk about rather than the weather, because my job is the weather and it's an important message, so, nobody helps me, they're all my own mistakes." Carol also expressed her affection for her role and colleagues, both on and off-camera, adding: "We've known each other for donkeys years, so it's real friendship that you're witnessing." Since joining the BBC Breakfast crew in 1997, Carol has become the programme's longest-standing current presenter. Her expertise in meteorology has been recognised with multiple accolades, including a TRIC award for best TV Weather Presenter in 2003, 2008, 2009, and consecutively from 2012 to 2017. The meteorologist has also received Royal recognition from Princess Anne. In November 2015, she was reportedly honoured with an Honorary Fellowship by the Princess Royal for her "contributions to broadcasting" at Inverness College. That same year, viewers got to see a different side to her when she competed on Strictly Come Dancing, with former show professional Pasha Kovalev. During the competition, she was praised for efforts, though finished in 10th place. Meanwhile, Carol recently made it clear that she has no intention of retiring any time soon. When asked about the possibility of stepping back, she told Radio Times Magazine: "Don't say that; you'll get me sacked! And I love my job; I can't imagine not doing it. "There will be a day, obviously, when that happens, but for now I still love the weather. Each day is different, you know? "We're an island, and the weather changes all the time, so it's always interesting." BBC Breakfast airs daily from 6am on BBC One.
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Carol Kirkwood planning to retire from BBC in two years to travel with husband
BBC Weather presenter Carol Kirkwood has revealed her plans to travel around Europe with her second husband, who is 13 years younger than her BBC weather presenter Carol Kirkwood has revealed she intends to retire in a couple of years when she hits 65 - and take off around Europe with her toyboy husband. The 63-year-old has been a fixture on BBC Breakfast for the past 27 years. But dropping hints she's not going to make her 30th anniversary of predicting sunshine and showers, Carol confessed that she and husband Steve Randall are planning to head off into the sunset. 'We fell in love with Majorca, which is where we went so I could research my fifth novel, Meet Me at Sunset, about a woman running away from a shattered love affair,' she explained. 'Steve and I also plan to escape and travel for some time when we retire, perhaps in a year or two. We'll either travel in a camper van, or get in the car, cross over to France and just drive.' Carol has built up an army of fans over the decades, and her decision to quit when she hits normal retirement age will sadden many viewers. The TV star said that being older than her husband, a policeman, doesn't bother her. She told Saga Magazine: 'Steve is 50 this year. Other people's opinions about an age gap don't matter – I don't feel he is younger than me.' The weather expert married Steve at Cliveden House two years ago, with just themselves in attendance. She said that finding him, when she wasn't looking for love, had been down to pure luck. "Meeting my husband Steve was fate,' she explained to Saga Magazine. 'We were at a function neither of us wanted to go to. It was a Sliding Doors moment – if I hadn't gone, we would never have met. "We chatted, he gave me his number, and ages later, we met for coffee. He was only a friend before we became involved. I wasn't looking for a romance; I was happy being single. After a 25-year marriage, I needed to find myself.' Carol was married to property developed Jimmy Kirwood for 18 years from 1990 and described their divorce as 'devastating' at the time. But since settling down with Steve, she has told how contended she feels. Last year she declared: 'Love is lovelier the second time around. No disrespect to my first husband, but this is better." She said that Steve proposed on a riverbank near their home in Berkshire. 'Although we'd talked about getting married, it still came as a shock,' she admitted. "Our wedding at Cliveden House was the most perfect day. Storm Gerrit was raging outside and we didn't even notice. It was about us getting married rather than having a big, fancy wedding. We had no guests and wrote our own vows, which was really emotional. When you are older, you know more what you want." Born in Morar, Inverness-shire to hotelier parents, Carol is one of eight siblings. After graduating from what is now Edinburgh Napier University with a degree in commerce, Carol joined the BBC as a secretary in London. By 1993 she was working as a freelance presenter and three years later she joined The Weather Channel. When it closed down she underwent training at the Met Office before joining BBC News in 1998. She is now the main weather presenter on BBC Breakfast, remaining in London when the show moved to Salford in 2012.
The Independent
a day ago
- Business
- The Independent
Wealth Check: Property and pensions provide the two big lessons for teacher Jamie
The patient Jamie*, 36, wants to pay off the mortgage on the family home so he and his wife, Carol*, 35, can save more for their daughter's future. The couple, who live in Preston with 20-month-old Millie*, are also looking at investing in a buy-to-let property as part of their longer-term planning. Jamie works as a tutor at a school in Blackburn, earning £24,000, and has been in this job for four years. Carol works part-time as a youth worker. The couple have been careful about building up money, and currently have £25,000 in a cash individual savings account (ISA) with Santander, £3,000 in a regular savings account with Norwich & Peterborough building society, and £1,000 in premium bonds. They also save £500 a year into a cash junior ISA with Nationwide building society for Millie. While they have no investments at the moment, they also don't have any debts. The couple live in a three-bedroom house which they bought in 2000 for £206,000. They now have a mortgage on this for £82,000 on a repayment basis. "This is a mixture of a fixed-rate deal [£60,000 at 2.49 per cent] and a tracker [£22,000 at 1.25 per cent]," says Jamie. "I pay the mortgage and Carol the bills." Jamie currently pays £110 a month into his workplace pension, and also gets life cover through that scheme. In addition, the couple pay £20 a month for critical-illness and accident cover. However, Jamie is thinking about opting out of his pension and using that money as a deposit for a buy-to-let property. "This would be an investment for Millie's future and also help fund a comfortable retirement for both Carol and myself," he says. "I'm looking to buy with a friend and we're each trying to save at least £200 a month for the next two years." The friends then hope to have around £10,000 to put down on a run-down place they can renovate. "My theory is that by the time I get to 55 or 60, I will have paid off the mortgage on our family home and will also own a second property which I could sell, giving me a lump sum, instead of a pension lump sum. We would then have money to spend on Millie's education and things she'll need in the future." Alongside this, Jamie hopes to have amassed £50,000 in his ISA by the time he turns 60. "I hope that the combination of the buy-to-let property, my ISA savings and 15 years of pension contributions – plus the state pension – will be enough for a comfortable retirement," he adds. The cure Our panel of independent financial advisers (IFAs) commend Jamie and Carol on having built up a good level of savings and avoiding debt. But they urge caution before stopping pension contributions into a workplace scheme, and recommend that a combination of both property and pensions may offer a better solution for their long-term planning goals. Continue to build cash savings While the couple have been sensible in putting most of their savings in cash ISAs, meaning all interest is tax-free, Aj Somal from Aurora Financial Planning urges them to check whether they could earn a better rate of interest. Useful sites for comparing rates include and James Robson from Plutus Wealth Management adds that cash is the most appropriate way to save for short-term goals such as cars, holidays and a buy-to-let deposit, but over the long term cash can become eroded by inflation. "If some of the cash is designated as long-term savings, they could consider diversifying into investments," he says. "It's possible to transfer money from cash ISAs to equity ISAs while still retaining the tax wrapper." Work on paying off the mortgage Aiming to pay off the mortgage is a sensible goal, according to Mr Robson. "As their current deals come with competitive rates of interest, they could consider making overpayments to reduce the balance further. Generally, lenders will allow borrowers to overpay 10 per cent of capital each year without penalty." Think carefully about property versus pensions Patrick Connolly from adviser Chse de Vere points out that while many people plan on using their property to help fund their retirement, this can be a high-risk approach. "I'd urge people to use property alongside pensions – not instead of them," he says. "Nobody can predict how residential property will perform in the future." This is a view shared by Mr Somal. "I'd suggest Jamie continues to pay £110 a month into his employer-sponsored pension and then save £100 a month towards a deposit, along with his friend," he says. "He should then aim to do this for a four-year term. Buying a property is a long-term investment, and so is a pension. For this reason, it's better to be diversified in both types of assets, rather than to have all your eggs in one basket." Mr Robson warns Jamie that he may need to save a deposit of 25 per cent to be able to source a competitive deal on a buy-to-let property. "Equally, if he plans on renovating, he needs to ensure there is enough money to cover this too," he says. In addition, Jamie and Carol need to factor in the costs of letting out a second property, and think about the risks of potentially getting bad tenants – or no tenants at all. Be wary of opting out of workplace pension schemes As Jamie will have access to either the teachers' pension scheme or the local government pension scheme, Mr Connolly says he should think carefully before giving up membership. "These schemes provide excellent benefits guaranteed by the Government, which would be extremely hard to replicate elsewhere," he says. "While there are changes happening, they will still offer very good value, so my strong recommendation would be to continue making contributions." Mr Robson agrees that by being part of a pension scheme and making contributions, both Jamie and Carol can take advantage of the tax benefits, allowing them to save for the future in a tax-efficient manner. Mr Connolly adds that for most people, the best approach to retirement planning is a combination of pensions and stocks-and-shares ISAs. "Pensions provide initial tax relief but are inflexible, whereas ISAs are also tax efficient and give greater flexibility," he says. Given the timescale involved with junior ISAs, Mr Somal suggests that for parents who accept the risks of the stock market, it may be worth looking at equity ISAs, as this should give better returns than sticking with cash. Mr Connolly says a good option could be the Jump Junior ISA, which invests in the Witan Investment Trust, "a very large ... fund investing in shares throughout the world".
Daily Record
a day ago
- Climate
- Daily Record
BBC Breakfast's Carol Kirkwood opens up on being off air for weeks after accident
BBC Breakfast weather presenter Carol Kirkwood has revealed she was once involved in a nasty bike accident during the pandemic. BBC Breakfast's beloved meteorologist Carol Kirkwood has shared details of her traumatic experience after being knocked off her bike during the pandemic, an incident that led to a three-week absence from work. Now, the 63-year-old has opened up in a recent interview about the long-lasting effects of the accident which occurred five years ago. Carol has revealed that it has significantly impacted her ability to enjoy cycling. The TV personality, who married her partner Steve in a private ceremony in 2023, expressed gratitude for his unwavering support throughout her recovery. Speaking to Saga magazine, Carol recounted the harrowing event, commenting: "During the pandemic, I was on my bike and someone drove into me, knocking me off. "I was taken to hospital with a severe injury to one of my knees and was off work for three weeks." She elaborated on the lasting impact of the accident, adding: "The accident stopped me cycling and gave me a fear of riding on roads. I've been back out on my bike with Steve but when a car overtakes, I get nervous and feel I'm going to fall off. So I don't tend to cycle any more, which is a shame because I loved it." At the time of the accident, Carol had informed her Twitter followers that she had been "injured" and was receiving treatment at a hospital in Slough, reports the Express. Expressing her gratitude, she said: "Biggest thanks ever to the police (Chris and Faye), the ambulance crew (Miranda and Stewart) who tended to me and took me to hospital." Returning to BBC Breakfast on a Tuesday morning after her recuperation, she acknowledged her injury to viewers. At the time, she said: "I still have a nasty injury on my knee but I'm still here."In the same interview, Carol candidly discussed her 13-year age difference with her spouse, Steve. She revealed: "Steve is 50 this year. Other people's opinions about an age gap don't matter - I don't feel he is younger than me. "He is so romantic. On the days I work, he gets up at 2.45am to make me a cup of tea and packs my breakfast." The Breakfast presenter has been quite occupied of late, having recently published her third novel, Meet Me at Sunset, earlier this year. Carol Kirkwood's full interview can be found in the August edition of Saga magazine.
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
BBC's Carol Kirkwood opens up on 'severe' accident that left her off air for weeks
BBC Breakfast presenter Carol Kirkwood was rushed to hospital after being knocked off her bike in a horror accident during the pandemic. Carol Kirkwood has opened up about a terrifying accident that left her hospitalised and unable to work on BBC Breakfast for three weeks. The 63-year-old weather presenter was knocked off her bike during the pandemic, resulting in a severe knee injury. In a recent interview with Saga magazine, she revealed how the incident has affected her love for cycling. Carol shared: "During the pandemic, I was on my bike and someone drove into me, knocking me off. I was taken to hospital with a severe injury to one of my knees and was off work for three weeks." She went on to explain how the accident has instilled a fear of cycling on roads, addig: "The accident stopped me cycling and gave me a fear of riding on roads. "I've been back out on my bike with Steve but when a car overtakes, I get nervous and feel I'm going to fall off. So I don't tend to cycle any more, which is a shame because I loved it." At the time of the incident, Carol took to Twitter to share that she had been "injured" and was taken to hospital in Slough. She expressed her gratitude towards the police and ambulance crew who assisted her, saying: "Biggest thanks ever to the police (Chris and Faye), the ambulance crew (Miranda and Stewart) who tended to me and took me to hospital." After three weeks away, Carol returned to BBC Breakfast, informing viewers that her leg had been hurt. "I still have a nasty injury on my knee but I'm still here," she told concerned viewers at the time. In the same interview, Carol candidly discussed her 13-year age difference with her husband Steve. She revealed: "Steve is 50 this year. Other people's opinions about an age gap don't matter - I don't feel he is younger than is so romantic. On the days I work, he gets up at 2.45am to make me a cup of tea and packs my breakfast." The Breakfast host has been keeping herself busy, having recently published her third novel Meet Me at Sunset earlier this year, reports the Express. Carol Kirkwood's full interview can be found in the August issue of Saga magazine. BBC Breakfast is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
