Carol Kirkwood reveals the question she is asked 'all the time'

Virgin Radio

26 Jul 2024, 11:43

Weather presenter and Sunday Times bestselling author Carol Kirkwood has told Nick Grimshaw the question that she is getting asked a whole lot at the moment.

Having just released her fourth novel, Once Upon A Time In Venice, the writer and TV star  joined the Chris Evans Breakfast Show with webuyanycar for a chat with Grimmy, who is hosting for a couple of weeks while Chris is on his summer holidays.

Inevitably, the conversation turned to the summer, or lack thereof.

------------------------------------

DON'T MISS:

James Corden says he feels 'very emotional' as he shares big Gavin & Stacey update

​​When does Gladiators series 2 start? Are Bradley and Barney Walsh returning as hosts? Who are the Gladiators taking part?

Emmys 2024: Baby Reindeer, The Crown and The Bear among nominees - see the full list

------------------------------------

Grimmy told Carol: “We were talking about you the other day on the radio, saying to be Carol Kirkwood in a wet summer must be hell, because I bet people are like, ‘Hey, Carol, what's going on with this weather?’”

The BBC presenter replied: “It's so true. I get asked that all the time! ‘What's happened to summer? Where is it?’”

Whilst Carol didn’t offer any insight into where exactly summer has been so far, she did share the exciting details of her new novel, which is out now. “The book has so many questions in it,” she said. “There are so many dark secrets that can ruin everyone. And the question is, will they?”

The narrative is set in Venice, and Carol told Nick: “The location is stunning. Venice has everything; it's got glamour, it's got glitz, it's got intrigue, it's got the Masked Ball, it's got romance. Remember, Casanova used to live there. Lots of little, dark alleyways. And this book is a real form of escapism.”

She added: “There's drama in it. My goodness, some of the lives my characters lead, I would be shocked."

This is the writer’s fourth novel. She published her first book, Under A Greek Moon in 2021, and followed it with The Hotel on the Riviera in 2022, and Secrets Of The Villa Amore last year. On how she starts on a new book, she said: “The first point for me is the location, and I always choose places that I've been to that I absolutely love myself, and Venice is one of my favourite cities in the world. 

“I like to have gone there, because then I can describe it with conviction. And what I really want to do, through visual imagery, is take you there, because you might not have been to Venice. And if I can make you see what my characters can see and live it with them, then I have achieved.”

She continued: “But it is fiction. It is a story, and there's a lot of drama in it, but there's a lot of excitement as well. I just love this process. I love the creative process of just making up characters. They all come from the figments of my imagination. And you give them life, you give them characters, you give them a look and a voice, and you can take them wherever you want. It’s so liberating.”

Carol also revealed that her husband, policeman Steve Randall, is a good sounding board. “I get a lot of ideas from going out for a walk in the countryside with my husband Steve,” she said. “If I've got writer's block, we will discuss things and come up with ideas. I'll think ‘That's brilliant,’ or ‘No, that wouldn't work for that character, because they wouldn't do that, but you've just given me another idea.’ 

“And so if we're out, I jot it down on my phone, and then when I get back, I'll put it down on my computer and elaborate.”

She added: “Steve is very much in the know. I'll say, ‘What do you think of this?’ And read him a bit, and he'll say, ‘Yeah, that's good.’ He's really honest. If he doesn't like it, he'll say!” 

With Once Upon A Time In Venice now released into the wild, Carol told Nick: “When you bring out a book, it's nerve-wracking because you've invested so much in it. It's your baby. It's come from your brain, and you want everyone to love it, just as you do, because you wouldn't put something out that you didn't love, and if somebody says, ‘Hmm, it was alright,’ then that's crushing. So you want everybody to love it. 

“So this is a nerve-wracking period for me, but I wouldn't change it for the world!”

Once Upon A Time In Venice is out now.

For more great interviews listen to The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with webuyanycar weekdays from 6:30am on Virgin Radio, or catch up on-demand here.