‘Time to Live and Love Again’: Carol Kirkwood Opens Up About Heartbreak, Healing, and Finding Her European Dream

After 27 years as one of the BBC’s most beloved faces, Carol Kirkwood is stepping into a new chapter — one defined not by forecasts and cameras, but by courage, love, and quiet happiness.

Behind her radiant smile and steady professionalism, few knew the heartbreak Carol carried during some of her toughest years. In a rare and deeply personal interview, the 62-year-old weather presenter revealed the pain she endured during her divorce — and how work became both her sanctuary and her therapy.

“I’d Go to the Ladies and Have a Good Cry”

Speaking candidly about her emotional struggles during that period, Carol admitted that she often fought back tears while on air.

“I’d come off-air — we broadcast from the Blue Peter gardens in those days — go to the Ladies, have a good cry, and then reapply my eye make-up before stepping in front of the cameras again,” she recalled.

The beloved presenter, known for her warmth and professionalism, said that the act of separating her emotions from her work helped her survive those dark days.

“In a funny way, it helped with the healing process,” she said. “I put my grief into a compartment that I kept separate from my work, otherwise I’d have ended up in a puddle of tears.”

Carol confessed that she lived with “two faces” during that time — the “public face” her viewers saw each morning, and the “private face” she wore at home as she quietly navigated the pain of her marriage ending.

“Work kept me going,” she said simply. “It gave me purpose when everything else felt uncertain.”

A Second Chance at Love

Now, years later, Carol speaks of love not with sadness, but with gratitude. Her voice softens when she talks about Steve, the man who changed everything.

She describes meeting him as a “Sliding Doors moment” — a chance encounter that could so easily have never happened.

“We were at a function neither of us wanted to go to,” Carol told Saga Magazine. “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.”

What began as a friendly connection soon grew into something deeper. “Initially, we were just friends,” she explained. “It was nice getting to know him, and I quickly realised he was kind, generous, and very romantic. He’s a lovely man.”

Building a Life Together

Asked how Steve felt about moving into her home, Carol smiled. “I offered to sell my home so we could buy a place together, but he’s happy living here,” she told the PA news agency. “He’s a keeper. He’s a very good cook and tidy as well — tidier than I am.”

After years of heartbreak, Carol finally found peace in the simplicity of ordinary life — quiet dinners, laughter over coffee, and shared dreams of travel. “He’s incredibly thoughtful,” she added. “Sometimes it’s the small things that remind you you’re loved — like a cup of tea waiting for you after a long day.”

Her relationship with Steve has brought a sense of renewal that radiates through every part of her life. “I’m the happiest I’ve ever been,” she said recently. “It’s not about perfection. It’s about feeling safe, seen, and loved for who you are.”

From BBC Mornings to European Dreams

After 27 years with the BBC, Carol is saying goodbye — a decision that brought fans to tears across social media. Viewers who grew up watching her bright presence on BBC Breakfast described her as “the nation’s comfort in the mornings,” while colleagues praised her professionalism and warmth.

Her next chapter? A quieter life abroad, one filled with travel, writing, and, as she puts it, “finally having time to live.”

“I’ve spent my life waking up before dawn,” she laughed. “Now I get to enjoy the sunrise instead of rushing to report it.”

Carol and Steve are reportedly planning to spend more time in Europe, pursuing what she calls her ‘European dream’ — a slower pace of life, surrounded by beauty and love.

The Woman Behind the Forecast

Those who have worked alongside Carol describe her as fiercely professional yet deeply compassionate — a woman who always put others first, even while hiding her own pain.

“She never let it show,” one colleague said. “Even when things were tough, she came to work smiling, ready to make everyone’s day a little brighter.”

Looking back, Carol says she’s proud of how far she’s come. “If you told me years ago that I’d come through that heartbreak and find love again, I wouldn’t have believed you,” she admitted. “But life surprises you when you least expect it.”

A Forecast for the Heart

As she leaves the BBC, Carol carries with her the lessons of resilience, renewal, and the quiet power of hope.

“The weather changes every day,” she said with a smile, “and so does life. You just have to wait for the clouds to clear.”

And for Carol Kirkwood, it seems, the sun has finally come out again.