Carol Kirkwood has shared a heartfelt video about “trust” and “being welcomed” after Naga Munchetty’s seemingly rude comments to her on her last day at BBC Breakfast.
Kirkwood, 63, bid farewell to the BBC show on Wednesday morning after 28 years at the broadcaster, prompting tributes from viewers and colleagues including presenters Jon Kay and Sally Nugent.
Munchetty, 51, joined the hosts towards the end of the broadcast and made a series of jokey remarks that viewers claimed were intended to “embarrass” Kirkwood, with some fans even suggesting the pair “really don’t get on” behind-the-scenes.
Amid the speculation, Kirkwood shared a video on Instagram of her tearful speech to viewers and colleagues as she bid farewell to the BBC.
Signing off at the end of the show, she said: “This is a forecast I’ve known for quite a while was coming, but that doesn’t make it any easier to present.
“Because after 28 years as a BBC weather presenter, tracking storms, chasing sunshine and occasionally getting it completely wrong, I’m saying goodbye.”
She went on: “When I first walked into this studio, I could never have imagined the journey ahead – back then the graphics were simpler, the maps were a bit clunkier, and I had a lot less grey hair than this.
“But one thing has never changed, and that is the privilege and honour of being welcomed into your homes. Thank you, thank you for trusting me, be it telling you about heatwaves or snow, from big national events to the everyday question of: ‘Do I need to take a brolly?’
“You’ve been the constant in all of this, and I’ve never taken that for granted, and thank you for all the wonderful gifts, cards and messages, I’m really going to miss you.”
She also thanked her colleagues “past and present” and added that her career had given her “friendships I treasure deeply”.
Speaking about her future, Kirkwood added: “I don’t have a detailed forecast, but I do know this, it’s time for a new chapter, a bit more time with Steve [her husband] and perhaps the luxury of watching the weather instead of presenting it.
“Thank you for letting me be part of your lives.”
Kirkwood shared the video jointly with the BBC and captioned it with a poignant quote from her speech: “One thing has never changed, the privilege and honour of being welcomed into your homes.”
During Kirkwood’s last day, several colleagues joined her on the sofa to bid farewell including Dan Walker, Mike Bushell, Matt Taylor, who will replace Kirkwood as weather presenter, and Munchetty.
Kirkwood appeared surprised that Munchetty was in the studio, saying: “Thank you all for coming - and even you, Nags!”
Munchetty - who was placed under review last year following complaints of bullying - said with a deadpan expression, “I’m just waiting for the countdown for you to go!” before laughing.
She then presented Kirkwood with a framed illustration by Mr Men artist Adam Hargreaves, portraying her as Little Miss Sunshine in a nod to her career as a weather correspondent.
Kirkwood exclaimed, looking visibly emotional: “I will treasure this! It's going to have pride of place...” as Munchetty interrupted to ask: “In the toilet?”
Munchetty later grilled her co-star on whether she had ever nicked anything from the BBC set in all her years as weather presenter.
“You’ve not stolen anything from all the time at BBC Breakfast?” she asked.
Kirkwood insisted she hadn’t, before Nugent and Kay joked that she could take a BBC Breakfast mug on the table in front of her.
After a special weather-themed cake was brought over to Kirkwood, Munchetty quipped: “Are you going to break the habit of a lifetime and actually share the cake?”
Kirkwood replied, “No, Naga, absolutely not - why would I do that? and Munchetty responded: “Exactly. Why change it? We're only going to remember you one way.”
The exchanges left viewers wondering if the pair had tension backstage, with some pointing out that Munchetty had failed to make a personal pre-recorded tribute to Kirkwood like many of her co-hosts.
“[Carol] seems artificially chirpy tbh. That Naga used to be quite rude to her and she just laughed,” one fan wrote on X.
“Naga didn’t do a pre recorded solo tribute like the other newsreaders did who’ve worked with her for years. Instead she tried her usual gotcha tactics to embarrass Carol,” another added.
“Maybe Naga and Carol really didn't get on...” a third suggested.
The Standard contacted Munchetty’s representative for comment.
Munchetty presents BBC Breakfast alongside Charlie Stayt every Thursday to Saturday, having joined the show in 2014.
Last year, she was accused of being “hard” and “bullying” her coworkers and came under fire for two alleged incidents over a three-year period. She was accused of bullying a female colleague and making a “wildly unprofessional” off-air sex joke that left a co-worker “humiliated”.
The broadcaster will reportedly be allowed to remain at the BBC’s flagship morning show under strict conditions while an official investigation takes place.
