Introduction
Kay Crewdson is a British journalist, broadcaster, weather presenter and event host who became a familiar face to viewers of BBC North West Tonight. During her years on regional television, she developed a friendly presenting style and became closely connected with communities across north-west England. Her career, however, has involved much more than weather forecasts. She has worked in television production, BBC radio, journalism, meteorology, public speaking and charity projects over more than two decades.
Her departure from BBC North West Tonight in December 2025 created considerable curiosity among viewers. Some wondered whether Kay Crewdson was ill, while others wanted to know why she had disappeared from the programme and whether she had left the BBC completely. Kay later explained that family life and the difficulty of managing a demanding broadcasting schedule played an important part in her decision. In 2026, she remains professionally active through event hosting, public speaking, Pilates instruction, charity work and other media opportunities.
Quick Bio
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Kay Louise Crewdson |
| Known For | Former BBC North West Tonight weather presenter |
| Profession | Broadcaster, journalist, event host, public speaker and Pilates instructor |
| Birth Month/Year | April 1982 |
| Age | 44 years old in 2026 |
| Nationality | British |
| Education | First-Class BA (Hons) in Arts and Theatre Studies, Queen Margaret University |
| BBC Career | Journalism, radio, production and weather presenting |
| North West Tonight | 2019–December 2025 |
| Partner | Jim Harding |
| Children | Two daughters |
| Daughter’s Name | Ava; secondary profiles also identify Nell |
| Health Topic | Has spoken publicly about insomnia and mental wellbeing |
| Pregnancy Loss | Has spoken about losing babies Reg and Star |
| Charity Work | Trustee and advocate with CRADLE |
| Current Work | Event hosting, public speaking, broadcasting and reformer Pilates |
| Current Location | North West England; associated with Marple |
| BBC Status | Left the BBC in December 2025 |
| Reason for Leaving | Family priorities and work-life balance |
| Current Status | Active professionally and open to future TV and radio work |
Who Is Kay Crewdson?
Kay Crewdson is a British broadcast journalist who became particularly well known as a weather presenter on BBC North West Tonight. She joined the programme’s weather team in 2019 and continued appearing regularly until the end of 2025. Her work brought her into homes across Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Lancashire, Cheshire and surrounding areas, where viewers became familiar with her forecasts and her enthusiasm for the people and places of the North West.
Calling Kay only a weather presenter does not fully describe her career. Before becoming closely associated with North West Tonight, she had already worked in radio, television production and journalism. She later expanded her work into event hosting, interviews, charity advocacy and public speaking. Her ability to work both behind and in front of the camera helped her build a varied career that continued even after she decided to leave her regular BBC position.
Kay Crewdson Age, Date of Birth and Education
Kay Crewdson was born in April 1982, making her 44 years old in 2026. Some online biographies give April 1 as her birthday, although April 1982 is the clearest public record of her birth period. Her early interests included communication and performance, which eventually helped lead her toward a career in television and radio.
Kay studied at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, where she graduated in 2005 with a First-Class BA Honours degree in Arts and Theatre Studies. After university, she returned to Manchester and began developing practical media experience. She worked as a runner on television commercials and volunteered in radio before entering professional journalism. Her theatre background gave her useful skills in confidence, communication and audience engagement, all of which later became valuable during live broadcasting.
Kay Crewdson’s BBC Career and Weather Presenting
Kay’s BBC career developed gradually. She entered journalism through BBC training and worked in different parts of the organisation, including Northern Ireland, Manchester, London, Leeds, Nottingham and North Yorkshire. She gained experience in production before moving further into journalism and eventually retraining as a broadcast meteorologist. By around 2010, weather forecasting had become an important part of her television career.
Radio was another major part of Kay’s professional development. At BBC Radio York, she created and presented Finders Keepers in 2014 and later took on the station’s breakfast programme. Morning radio required her to manage interviews, local stories, listener interaction and live broadcasting for several hours at a time. That experience strengthened the warm and conversational style that later became familiar to television viewers.
Kay Crewdson and BBC North West Tonight
Kay became part of BBC North West Tonight in 2019 and remained with the programme until December 2025. During those years, she presented regional forecasts and regularly appeared alongside the programme’s news presenters. Her work also took her outside the studio, allowing her to meet people and visit communities throughout the region.
One of her most memorable final projects was 25 in 25, created during 2025. Kay travelled around the North West to highlight 25 people, places and community stories. She described the project as a kind of love letter to the region, celebrating everything from countryside and beaches to towns, cities and inspiring local residents. In retrospect, the project also became a fitting conclusion to her years as a regular North West Tonight presenter.
Why Did Kay Crewdson Leave North West Tonight and the BBC?
Kay Crewdson left the BBC in December 2025. The decision was closely connected with family life and the difficulty of balancing a demanding broadcasting schedule with motherhood. Live television can involve early starts, late finishes and working patterns that make ordinary family routines difficult. Kay later spoke about missing school-gate moments and bedtimes with her daughters while managing her broadcasting responsibilities.
After leaving, she described how meaningful it was to regain simple moments with her children. One of her daughters particularly enjoyed being able to walk home from school with her mother. Kay has also said that leaving broadcasting was emotional because television and radio had been such a large part of her adult life. She still misses the excitement of live broadcasting, but leaving the BBC gave her greater freedom to choose work that fits better around her family.
Kay Crewdson Illness and Health
Interest in Kay Crewdson illness increased when viewers noticed that she was no longer appearing regularly on North West Tonight. Her absence led some people to wonder whether a health problem had forced her to stop presenting. However, Kay’s own explanation for leaving the programme focused on family responsibilities and work-life balance. She has remained active since leaving the BBC, hosting events, speaking publicly and teaching reformer Pilates, rather than withdrawing from professional life because of a serious medical condition.
Kay has spoken publicly about insomnia and mental wellbeing, and these subjects are now part of her public-speaking work. She has discussed the effects of poor sleep and the importance of wellbeing, but insomnia should not be confused with the reason for her BBC departure. There has also been interest in Kay Crewdson’s weight loss and changing appearance, although she has not described a major illness, medical treatment or special weight-loss programme behind those changes. Her involvement in Pilates and fitness provides a more natural connection with her current healthy lifestyle.
Kay Crewdson’s Partner and Children
Kay Crewdson shares her family life with her long-term partner Jim Harding. Jim has remained largely outside television and has a much lower public profile than Kay. They also have a business connection through JKAN Ltd. Their relationship is usually described as a long-term partnership, while Kay continues to keep most details of their private life away from entertainment coverage.
Kay is the mother of two daughters, and her children became central to her decision to change careers. One daughter is known as Ava, while other family profiles also identify her second daughter as Nell. Kay has spoken warmly about school routines, holidays and the importance of being present for her children. Motherhood therefore plays a major role in understanding why she chose greater flexibility after years of working within the fixed demands of BBC broadcasting.
Kay Crewdson’s Pregnancy Loss and CRADLE Work
An important and emotional part of Kay’s life has been her experience of pregnancy loss. She has spoken about losing a baby she called Reg in 2017 and another baby, Star, in 2020. Following the loss of Reg, Kay returned to BBC Radio York and talked openly with listeners about what she had experienced. The response showed her how many families had gone through miscarriage and pregnancy loss while often feeling unable to discuss their grief openly.
Kay later worked with Steve Bailey to produce the radio documentary The Emptiness Within. The programme explored miscarriage and the experiences of bereaved families and went on to receive a Silver award at the New York Festivals Radio Awards in 2019. Her personal experience also led her to become deeply involved with CRADLE, a charity supporting people affected by early pregnancy loss. She has served as a trustee and has used her broadcasting skills to help create conversations around miscarriage, bereavement and emotional support.
Where Is Kay Crewdson Now and What Is She Doing?
Kay Crewdson remains based in north-west England and has strong ties to the Marple area. Since leaving the BBC, she has developed a flexible career combining several interests. She works as an event host, book-event interviewer, public speaker and reformer Pilates instructor. She has hosted awards ceremonies, interviewed authors and taken part in events focused on health, wellbeing and women’s experiences.
Kay has not ruled out returning to television or radio. She still identifies strongly with broadcasting and has spoken about missing weather forecasting and the excitement of live television. Her current career simply gives her greater control over when and how she works. Rather than disappearing after North West Tonight, she has moved into a new stage that combines broadcasting experience with fitness, charity work, family time and live events.
Conclusion
Kay Crewdson built a long broadcasting career before becoming one of the familiar weather presenters on BBC North West Tonight. Born in April 1982, she studied Arts and Theatre Studies at Queen Margaret University before moving into BBC journalism, radio, production and meteorology. She joined North West Tonight in 2019 and remained with the programme until December 2025, finishing her time there with the 25 in 25 project celebrating communities across the region.
Her departure was mainly connected with creating a better balance between work and family life. Questions about Kay Crewdson illness should not be confused with her decision to leave the BBC. Although she has spoken openly about insomnia, mental wellbeing and pregnancy loss, she continues to lead an active professional life. At 44, she is working as an event presenter, public speaker, Pilates instructor and charity advocate while remaining open to future television and radio work. Her career after the BBC shows that leaving North West Tonight was not an ending, but the beginning of a more flexible chapter.
