BBC Breakfast looked a little different than usual on Thursday morning as Carol Kirkwood was missing from the show.
The Scottish star usually presents the weather forecast during the week, but was replaced by Sarah Keith-Lucas, who joined Naga Munchetty and Charlie Stayt on the programme.
© gettyCarol's absence comes just days after she returned from an exciting adventure. The 61-year-old spent the weekend accompanying fans on a steam train journey through the Scottish Highlands, which began at the Falkirk Wheel and ended four days later with a cruise on Loch Katrine.
The excursion, which cost participants £1,495 per ticket, included three boat rides, a trip to Inveraray Castle, and a talk from Carol.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, on the second day of the journey, Carol shared some snaps of The Jacobite steam train alongside the caption: "Heading to Mallaig on the Jacobite. Going to pass through Morar where I grew up! Can't wait @WeAreTripsmiths xxx."
Carol has previously spoken about her love for Scotland, particularly her hometown of Morar. She told Good Housekeeping: "The Scottish Highlands are special to me as that's where I grew up. I come from a village called Morar — I think I appreciate it more now than when I actually lived there. The silver sands are breathtaking. Then there's Loch Morar and the Morar River, which are both gorgeous."
It's an exciting time for Carol, who is preparing to walk down the aisle following her engagement to former police officer Steve Randall last year.
While Carol has previously said the upcoming nuptials will be a "small" and "intimate" affair, the couple have yet to set a date.
© Oliver Dixon/ShutterstockSpeaking to Best magazine earlier this year, she said: "We know we are definitely going to get married – we just haven't sorted out the details yet. We're just enjoying being engaged to be honest."
BBC Breakfast's Carol Kirkwood returns to screens following engagement ring speculation
Whilst Carol and Steve first met when she was in her 50s, they didn't begin dating until 2021. "We were friends before we became romantically involved so we knew each other quite well before we started dating," she told Closer magazine. "That was nice because it just kind of happened. Neither of us were looking for romance and there it was, it just evolves. It's so lovely. Who'd have thought that at this ripe old age, I'd be getting married again? I certainly didn't."
© Can Nguyen/ShutterstockCarol wasn't the only presenter missing from BBC Breakfast this week, as Jon Kay was also away from his usual spot on the sofa. The journalist was replaced by Ben Thompson from Monday to Wednesday, who stepped in to host alongside Sally Nugent.
While Jon hasn't directly addressed his absence, it seems the star is enjoying some time off down by the coast in Cornwall.
Taking to his Instagram Stories, the journalist shared a photo of a mug held up against a sunny beach backdrop. He penned in the caption: "Cornwall," alongside the OK hand emoji.
© Jon Kay/InstagramIn a second snap, the 53-year-old posed for a selfie on the beach alongside his adorable cocker spaniel.
The line-up of BBC Breakfast presenters
© BBC- Charlie Stayt
The journalist joined BBC Breakfast back in 2006 and now hosts the show alongside Naga Munchetty from Thursday to Saturday. Prior to joining the BBC, Charlie was the principal anchor of Five News, fronting the programme's 9/11 coverage and Millennium celebrations. - Naga Munchetty
The presenter joined the line-up of main presenters in 2014. Before landing a role on BBC Breakfast, she appeared on BBC World News, as well as BBC Two's weekday financial affairs programme, Working Lunch. - Sally Nugent
Sally has been a main presenter on the show since 2021, replacing Louise Minchin following her departure after 20 years. Sally previously worked as a sports presenter on the show and covered various major sporting events for the BBC, including Emma Raducanu's historic victory in the US Open tennis championship in 2021. - Jon Kay
The newsreader and journalist took over from Dan Walker following his exit in 2022. He previously worked as a news correspondent for BBC News at Six and covered major events such as the 2012 London Olympics and the 2015 general election campaign. - Carol Kirkwood
Carol is the show's main weather presenter and has been waking up the nation with the weather forecast on the BBC for 30 years. - Nina Warhurst
Nina is the show's main business presenter, having taken over from Steph McGovern in 2020. She often fills in as an anchor on the red sofa when the main hosts are absent. - Ben Thompson
Ben is a relief presenter and regularly stands in for the main hosts when they are away from the red sofa. He can also be seen on BBC News. - John Watson
John is a sports presenter and has been working for the BBC since 2012, providing viewers will all the latest sports news and stories.
