Zoe Ball says ' you'll make me cry' as she returns to BBC Radio 2

Zoe Ball has thanked BBC Radio 2 listeners for the "amazing messages" they'd sent following her beloved mum's death. She made an emotional return to her breakfast show on Monday, May 13, after being off the airwaves for several weeks.

The presenter's mother, Julia Peckham, died last month from advanced pancreatic cancer. The 75-year-old's funeral was held on Friday, which Zoe, 53, described as a "perfect day".

As she returned to work, Zoe thanked her co-star Owain Wyn Evans for "boosting" her bones with music from Fleetwood Mac, the Express reports. She also said the warm weather had been "good for the soul" before saying to her listeners: "How are you all, you lovely lot? First text in this morning, Lesley from Eastbourne said, 'Zoe, so good to have you back'. You're saying that now Lesley, give me 10 minutes you might change your mind!"

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Zoe also thanked Gaby Roslin for filling in for her during her absence and told listeners: "I'm so grateful to you all for your amazing messages to me about my dear mum." The mum-of-two later had to stop a recording from a listener who had dedicated a song to her.

The track included the lyrics 'We love you Zoe', which prompted the presenter to say: "Don't you'll make me cry," as she seemed to grow emotional.

Over the weekend, Zoe shared several snaps of her late mum on Instagram, as she spoke about their final farewell. She wrote: "It was the perfect day and she would have loved it. Forever in our hearts Mama, thank you for your magic and love. Missing you so much but holding tight to each other.

"Thank you to everyone who sent kind messages, cards and flowers. Big love to the many of you who have shared with us about your own loss and heartbreak, to those battling with cancer or looking after loved ones affected by cancer. We wish you all the strength and love. and of course the humour you need to keep going. some days it's so hard to be brave."