Carol Kirkwood says competition keeps BBC Breakfast 'sharp'

Carol Kirkwood says that competition is what keeps BBC Breakfast "sharp".

The show's long-time weather presenter was celebrating BBC Breakfast's 40th anniversary with the Radio Times when she discussed competitors that exist on other networks.

Talking about the UK's two new news channels GB News and TalkTV, Kirkwood said: “I think that's just what's going to happen in future isn’t it?

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"And it's good to have competition, if you want to call it that, because it keeps you sharp."

She added that she does not have time to watch any of BBC Breakfast's rival shows: "You want to be on top of your game if there's other people out there who are doing the same thing. But because they are on at the same time as me in the morning I don't get to see them.

"So I would be pretending if I said I knew what they were doing, and that's terrible, but really, it's really busy."

Kirkwood also noted that she does not have time to think of any rivalry between BBC Breakfast and Good Morning Britain: "I work by myself, so I'm producing all the graphics and running in and out of the studio and answering the phone and all the rest of it, so I don't even know what the other channel is doing to be honest because I'm too busy.

"So I certainly don't feel it. I don’t know if the others do; you'd have to ask."

Kirkwood is the longest serving member of the BBC Breakfast team and has appeared on the show since 1997. She had made her weather presenting debut the previous year for The Weather Channel and was trained by the Met Office.

Away from the weather, Kirkwood appeared on the thirteenth season of Strictly Come Dancing where she was partnered with Pasha Kovalev. They were eliminated in week seven.

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