BBC Breakfast star returns after long absence – details

Carol Kirkwood returned to BBC Breakfast on Monday after a three-week absence. The weather presenter, who usually appears on the show from Monday to Thursday, has been missing from our TV screens since the beginning of the month, with Matt Taylor and Simon King standing in.

Carol's co-stars welcomed her back to the show on Monday, with host Jon Kay saying: "Carol's back from hols."

Matt confirmed Carol's holiday earlier this month. "Good morning all! I'll be looking after most of your @BBCBreakfast weather forecasts for the next 3 weeks," he penned on social media.

In the comments section, one fan asked whether Carol was on holiday, to which she replied: "Sure am!"

It's safe to say viewers were pleased to see Carol back on their screens. Taking to social media, one person penned: "Welcome back Carol hope you enjoyed your holiday," while another added: "Morning, Carol. Great to see you back."

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While Carol hasn't revealed what she got up to during her three weeks off, she'll likely have enjoyed some quality time with her husband, police officer Steve Randall.

The couple, who wed in December last year, live by the River Thames near Windsor.

Opening up about her morning routine before her BBC Breakfast shifts, Carol recently told The Times that when her alarm goes off at 2.45am, her other half also wakes up. "Steve, who's a police officer, gets up too and makes me a cup of tea," she revealed. "I get to Broadcasting House, which is the headquarters of the BBC, in London by 4am. I also travel up to the BBC at Salford Quays in Manchester one day a week."

Revealing her preparation before going on air, Carol continued: "I check the studios are working, then I start building what we call my show. I have a conference call with the forecaster on duty to discuss the weather, then I slap on my make-up and do my hair. I'm a one-woman show. Even the studios are self-operated."

Carol has been a familiar face on our screens for years, having joined BBC News as a weather presenter in 1998. The 62-year-old is the main weather presenter on BBC Breakfast and has won the TRIC award for best TV Weather Presenter numerous times.

She is also a successful author and released her fourth romance novel, Once Upon a Time in Venice, in July. Carol's debut novel, Under a Greek Moon, hit the shelves in 2021 and quickly climbed to number two on the Sunday Times bestsellers list. It was followed by two more releases in 2022 and 2023.