BBC Breakfast’s Carol Kirkwood overcome with emotion as she recalls bike accident

Carol has recalled a horrific incident that sent her to hospital (Picture: by Neil Mockford/Alex Huckle/GC Images)

BBC’s Carol Kirkwood became teary as she recalled being hit by a car while cycling during lockdown.

The BBC Breakfast weather presenter was rushed to hospital after a car knocked her off her bike last year, and was forced to take three weeks away from the morning programme before returning in May.

Speaking now about the incident, Carol became emotional as she admitted the crash ‘destroyed’ her confidence cycling on the roads.

A fan of the outdoors, Carol told her BBC Breakfast colleague Louise Minchin and Annie Emmerson on the She Spirit podcast: ‘I tried it, and was so nervous of cars coming alongside me, I thought I’m going to wobble, I’m going to fall off.’

Saying she damaged her knee and her thumb in the crash, she’s also been unable to get back into running. Still, Carol ​added that she hoped ‘one day’ to get back on her bike.

Louise, suggesting her friend speak with the podcast’s bike coach Michelle to build her confidence back up, said: ‘You had a really horrid accident. And if you hadn’t worn a helmet, then things could have ended differently.’

The presenter was forced off air to recovery (Picture: Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)

Carol conceded: ‘I would have face planted!’

She explained: ‘I have a huge nose as you can see, so my nose hit the deck and had a lovely big, black bruise on it, but my helmet had a peak at the front and that’s what stopped my face hitting the ground.’

Recalling her horrific injury from the fall, she said: ‘I’ll never forget that accident, it was horrific.

‘My knee was absolutely battered and there were nerves apparently hanging out of it. There was no much blood. It was cut all the way down to my knee cap.

‘Fortunately, my knee cap was okay… bruises all over my body but you get over that kind of thing.

‘But sometimes I’ll dream about it and still hear that [crunch] of the car hitting the back of my bike…’

The presenter then began to tear up as she said: ‘Oh my goodness, I can’t really talk about it..’

At the time of the incident, Carol, who had been absent from the show following the crash, thanked the police and viewers for their support.

She tweeted after leaving hospital: ‘Been off following an accident. Got knocked off my bike by a car and got injured.

‘Biggest thanks ever to the Police (Chris and Faye), the Ambulance Crew (Miranda and Stewart) who tended to me and took me to Hospital. And especially Peter Foskett-Tharby at Wexham Park Hospital.’

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She later added: ‘I am overwhelmed and humbled by all your lovely tweets. Will read them properly when I get home later. THANK YOU! It is so good to be back. Hope you are all keeping well.

Speaking on BBC Breakfast on her return to work on Tuesday, the weather presenter said that it was a ‘pure accident’.

She added: ‘I was out on my bike and got knocked off it by a car that drove into me.

‘It was a pure accident of course but this is a great opportunity to say thank you to the three cyclists that helped me immediately after the incident.’

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