Family life of Zoe Ball as BBC Radio 2 DJ returns to breakfast show

BBC star and son 'teaming up to front new show' after Celebrity Gogglebox success
-Credit: (Image: Channel 4)


BBC Radio 2 presenter Zoe Ball has returned to the airwaves after more than six weeks off work.

Blackpool-born Zoe made a triumphant return to the Radio 2 breakfast show on Monday, September 23. During her comeback, Zoe quipped that she hadn't jetted off to Turkey for "a new face and teeth" following a cheeky suggestion from a listener.

Zoe greeted listeners with: "Morning gorgeous people it's me Zoe the happy wanderer. I've wandered back. How was your Brat summer? Was it marvellous? We did that in the 90s it was called something different then."

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Zoe's absence comes following the death of her mum Julia in April. Julia's death came just a month after she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

The 53-year-old had previously spoken of forming a close relationship with her mother, after 14 years of estrangement, but the pair reconciled when Zoe was invited to her mum's 40th birthday.

Zoe was just two when her parents divorced, and she was raised by her dad, the children's TV presenter Johnny Ball, and her step-mother Di. From the age of five until her late teens, she did not see her mother.

Zoe has also now sold her countryside home in Newick, Sussex, which she purchased in August 2020, amid a move to a townhouse between Brighton and Hove, closer to her ex-husband, DJ Norman Cook, also known as Fatboy Slim, with whom she has two children, reports the Express.

Zoe Ball: Family life

Originally from Blackpool, Zoe grew up in Farnham Common, Buckinghamshire, but now resides in East Sussex with her two children, Woody, aged 23, and Nelly, aged 14.

In 2019, Zoe stepped into the role of Radio 2 breakfast host, succeeding Chris Evans and marking a milestone as the first woman to helm the show. The broadcaster, who co-parents her children with former husband Norman Cook, better known as Fatboy Slim, saw her son publicly address her recent absence last week.

The 23 year old shared: "My mum and I like to keep our private lives to ourselves but I will say I have stepped up and spent a lot more time with her recently as she has always been there when I've had tough times. I'm glad to see her smiling."

Zoe previously lived in Lewes, a picturesque town in East Sussex renowned for its quaint slopes and independent boutiques.

In 2020, Zoe made the move into the home that was built in the 1920s by Russian nobility, Baron Vladimir de Wolff. Her vibrant and unique taste ensured the house was filled with luxurious touches whilst also highlighting the property's historical character through features like picture rails and high ceilings.

Lewes, the charming county town of East Sussex, is steeped in history with its medieval streets, traditional English churches, and distinctive narrow passageways known locally as "twittens". The scenic landscape is dominated by prominent chalk cliffs and the ruins of a Norman castle which neighboured the residence bestowed upon Anne of Cleves - Henry VIII's fourth wife - though she never actually occupied it.

Given its rich history, alluring architecture, and convenient location near premier British beaches, living in Lewes is highly desirable. Over the last year, properties in Lewes have had an average price of £495,979 according to Rightmove data. The predominant sales within the period were semi-detached homes, fetching an average price of £598,380.

Meanwhile, terraced properties changed hands for around £494,149, and flats sold for approximately £255,233. Sold prices in Lewes over the past year saw a 13 percent decrease from the previous year, marking a levelling out with the 2021 peak figure of £498,329.

Zoe has since left Lewes, though, selling her £2m home to relocate to a townhouse situated between Brighton and Hove, not far from where her ex-husband Norman resides. As of July 2024, average house prices in Brighton and Hove stand at £433,000.

A source speaking to Mail Online said: "Zoe obviously got fed up with life in the country and wanted to move to somewhere a bit more lively. She has become really engrossed in making her house just as she wants it and has been happily ordering furniture and buying bits and bobs to make it perfect."

On a personal note, Zoe was recently seen with her former spouse Cook, aged 61, at a café in Hove.

The two previously tied the knot and enjoyed an 18-year marriage which ended in separation back in 2016, eventually leading to an official divorce in 2020. Notably, they both garnered attention for their vivacious social life during the nineties and have since chosen a teetotal lifestyle.

Last year, Cook praised his former partner for her role in keeping him level-headed amidst his rise to stardom. On the Changes podcast, he reflected: "One thing I did have to keep a lid on during that crazy time was my ego.

"While you've got a licence to break rules, you've always got a lot of people who'll let you get away with murder. Zoe was really good for me for that, because she knew the fame game and we would sort of check each other.

"If I wasn't respectful to people, she'd go: 'Oi, come on, that's not how we behave! Go back and thank them for that.'

"We were both quite good at keeping each other's feet on the ground. Because it's hard when everyone's saying: 'Here, have this, take this, drink this, you're brilliant.'

"It's hard to keep some kind of limit and say: 'I am actually a human being, not a superstar.' I think we probably saved each other a lot of bother."

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