It was a misty start to Kirkwood’s final day as her Breakfast presenting colleagues read out messages and shared memories from viewers expressing their appreciation.
They also played out video messages from viewers and stars including fellow broadcasters Zoe Ball, Chris Evans, Paul Merton, Sue Barker and Clare Balding, as well as Olympian Sir Chris Hoy and rock star Bryan Adams.
Early on in the show, Kirkwood beamed as she left her weather station to join Nugent and Kay on the sofa in a white dress. “I might just stay now that I’m on the sofa,” she joked.
She was then shown a surprise video, which compiled farewell messages from fans and standout moments from her 28-year career.
“Thank you everyone for all these beautiful messages,” she said. “I hope I can get a copy of them.”
Nugent noted: “I don’t think we’ve ever had more messages about anything else.” Kay similarly confirmed there had been “thousands” of messages, which Nugent said talked “about you and everything you have meant to them over the last years”.
The Breakfast presenter went on to note that while she and her colleagues had been “so lucky to have you here with us, we forget all the people at home who are your friends too”.
