BBC Breakfast’s Carol Kirkwood Looks Unrecognisable in Throwback Eighties Snap with Dark Hair and Retro Make-Up

BBC Breakfast star Carol Kirkwood has left fans stunned after an unearthed throwback photo revealed the Scottish weather presenter looking almost unrecognisable in her younger years.

The 62-year-old was pictured sporting dark brunette locks, a striking departure from her trademark blonde tresses. Carol accessorised with a red-and-white headband, pulling her hair into a classic eighties updo, and kept her makeup minimal, letting her natural beauty shine through.

Thought to be in her late teens or early twenties at the time, the candid snap immediately had her BBC colleagues recognising her despite the dramatic change in hair colour.

“Oh I know who that beauty is,” co-host Sally Nugent exclaimed. “It’s our gorgeous Carol!”
“She looks exactly the same!” added Sally, while fellow presenter Ben Thompson agreed: “She does. She hasn’t changed one bit.”

A Timeless Face

Despite the retro makeover, Carol’s familiar smile and radiant features shone through. Fans were quick to point out the striking resemblance to her current self, praising her timeless looks.

Last December, Carol revealed she feels “no pressure whatsoever” about her appearance in an interview for Prima magazine’s February 2024 issue.

“I’m just into my 60s, but the positive is that you care less what people think of you. You hear people’s opinions, but you don’t take them on board as much as when you’re younger,” she said.

She added with a touch of humour that her New Year resolutions usually focus on fitness and weight loss, though she jokingly admitted:

“I fail by the second day of January on both. There’s always so much leftover food. And then I’m going to start again on Monday – but I never do!”

From Windsor TV to BBC Breakfast

Carol began her television career in 1992 at the age of 30 on the former Windsor TV channel. She then presented short slots on BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 4, before taking her first on-screen role at the BBC as a freelance presenter in 1993.

In 1998, she joined BBC News and has since become a staple of BBC Weather, appearing across both radio and television platforms, including BBC News at Six and BBC World News.

Health Update and Return to Screens

In August 2024, viewers noticed Carol was struggling with a hoarse voice and cough while presenting the weather. She later shared a health update, explaining:

“It’s this pesky 100-day cough. It just keeps giving. It won’t go.”

Known medically as pertussis, the bacterial chest infection typically progresses through three stages, with a lingering cough that can persist for weeks. During a recent broadcast, Sally Nugent quipped:

“Your voice nearly lasted to the very end there, Carol, well done!”

Carol took a brief break from BBC Breakfast, with colleague Matt Taylor explaining her absence and fans eagerly awaiting her return.

A Star of the Small Screen

Even decades into her career, Carol Kirkwood remains a familiar and cherished face for BBC viewers, blending professionalism with a warmth that has made her one of the nation’s most beloved weather presenters.

From her retro eighties snap to her enduring presence on screens today, Carol’s transformation is a reminder of both how much has changed – and how timeless her charm truly is.