At 2:45am, much of the country is fast asleep – but for nearly three decades that’s when Carol Kirkwood’s day has begun.
Now, after leaving the BBC this week, the early alarm is the first thing she’s ready to leave behind – it’s “well and truly going in the bin”.
It marks the end of an era, not just for Kirkwood, but for millions of viewers who have watched her present the weather forecast.
She has been the main weather presenter on BBC Breakfast since 2010, having started her BBC presenting career on the news channel.
Reflecting on her 28 years at the corporation, she tells us the biggest privilege was presenting the weather out in the field because “you meet members of the public who are always so lovely and kind to me”.
Although it’s “impossible to pinpoint one standout moment”, reporting from events such as the Wimbledon tennis championships and Chelsea Flower Show were some of her highlights.
“I’ve reported from so many beautiful places and visited a lot of the country that I might not otherwise have seen,” she adds.