Carol Kirkwood
Encyclopedia
Carol Kirkwood is a Scottish
weather presenter, employed by the Met Office
and best known for forecasting the weather for BBC Breakfast
.
, Invernessshire, Scotland
to Scottish
parents. She was one of eight children and her parents ran a hotel
in Morar; she was a Girl Guide. After attending Lochaber High School in Fort William, Carol gained a BA
in commerce
from Napier University
in Edinburgh
.
and after a series of internal moves presented short slots on BBC Radio Scotland
, and then BBC Radio 2
and BBC Radio 4
. She subsequently worked as an Associate Director in recruitment and as training consultant for a management consultancy in Cheshire
.
Kirkwood rejoined the BBC at Elstree Studios
training department in 1993 as a freelance presenter, during which time she presented a bi-monthly programme Talking Issues for HTV West. In 1996 Kirkwood joined the new UK operation of The Weather Channel, but after it closed down in January 1998 she underwent training under the guidance of the BBC at the Met Office
, before joining BBC News
as a weather presenter. She has appeared regularly on BBC One
, BBC News, BBC World News, BBC Red Button and the BBC News at Six, and is now the main weather presenter on BBC Breakfast
.
In 2005, 2006, 2007 Kirkwood has also presented live forecasts as part of the BBC's coverage of the Wimbledon
Tennis Championships, sharing these duties with Dan Corbett and Susan Powell
. She won the TRIC
award for best TV Weather Presenter in 2003, 2008 and 2009.
Since 2007 she has been the presenter of "The Weather Show" aired quarterly on BBC News, and is also a regular contributor and reporter for BBC1's "The One Show"
In July 2011 Kirkwood became a co-presenter on BBC One's "The Great British Weather".
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
weather presenter, employed by the Met Office
Met Office
The Met Office , is the United Kingdom's national weather service, and a trading fund of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
and best known for forecasting the weather for BBC Breakfast
BBC Breakfast
BBC Breakfast is the morning television news programme simulcast on BBC One and the BBC News channel. It is presented live from BBC Television Centre in White City, West London, and contains a mixture of news, sport, weather, business and feature items...
.
Early life
Kirkwood was born Carol MacKellaig in MorarMorar
Morar is a small village on the west coast of Scotland, south of Mallaig. The name Morar is also applied to the wider district around the village....
, Invernessshire, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
to Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
parents. She was one of eight children and her parents ran a hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
in Morar; she was a Girl Guide. After attending Lochaber High School in Fort William, Carol gained a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in commerce
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
from Napier University
Napier University
Edinburgh Napier is one of the largest higher education institutions in Scotland with over 17,000 students, including nearly 5,000 international students, from more than 100 nations worldwide.-History:...
in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
.
Career
After graduation, Kirkwood joined the BBC's Secretarial Reserve in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and after a series of internal moves presented short slots on BBC Radio Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland is BBC Scotland's national English-language radio network. It broadcasts a wide variety of programming, including news, sport, light entertainment, music, the arts, comedy, drama, history and lifestyle...
, and then BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
and BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
. She subsequently worked as an Associate Director in recruitment and as training consultant for a management consultancy in Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
.
Kirkwood rejoined the BBC at Elstree Studios
Elstree Studios
"Elstree Studios" refers to any of several film studios that were based in the towns of Borehamwood and Elstree in Hertfordshire, England, since film production begun in 1927.-Name:...
training department in 1993 as a freelance presenter, during which time she presented a bi-monthly programme Talking Issues for HTV West. In 1996 Kirkwood joined the new UK operation of The Weather Channel, but after it closed down in January 1998 she underwent training under the guidance of the BBC at the Met Office
Met Office
The Met Office , is the United Kingdom's national weather service, and a trading fund of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
, before joining BBC News
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
as a weather presenter. She has appeared regularly on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
, BBC News, BBC World News, BBC Red Button and the BBC News at Six, and is now the main weather presenter on BBC Breakfast
BBC Breakfast
BBC Breakfast is the morning television news programme simulcast on BBC One and the BBC News channel. It is presented live from BBC Television Centre in White City, West London, and contains a mixture of news, sport, weather, business and feature items...
.
In 2005, 2006, 2007 Kirkwood has also presented live forecasts as part of the BBC's coverage of the Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
Tennis Championships, sharing these duties with Dan Corbett and Susan Powell
Susan Powell (Weather forecaster)
Susan Powell is a weather reporter for the BBC. She telecasts on the BBC News Channel, BBC One, BBC World, BBC Radio Four, and she is a main weather reporter on the BBC Six O'Clock News and BBC Radio Five Live. She was previously a main weather reporter on the BBC Ten O'Clock News.-Early life:Susan...
. She won the TRIC
Television and Radio Industries Club
The Television and Radio Industries Club is a British institution chartered in 1931 to "promote goodwill in the television and radio industries"...
award for best TV Weather Presenter in 2003, 2008 and 2009.
Since 2007 she has been the presenter of "The Weather Show" aired quarterly on BBC News, and is also a regular contributor and reporter for BBC1's "The One Show"
In July 2011 Kirkwood became a co-presenter on BBC One's "The Great British Weather".
External links
- Carol Kirkwood Biography BBC Weather Website
- Carol Kirkwood personal website Official website