Zoe Ball thanks fans for support after death of new boyfriend Billy Yates

Zoe Ball has spoken publicly for the first time since her partner’s suspected suicide and has told well-wishers how much their support is appreciated.

A week after Billy Yates, 40, was found hanged at his home in Putney, west London, the TV presenter’s management company Tweeted a statement thanking fans for all their messages.

It’s the first time Zoe, 46, has made any kind of statement since Billy’s body was discovered.

The grieving presenter has been retweeting certain messages aimed at helping men access support for their mental health issues, including one from the Samaritans urging people to call them and talk about their problems.

She also shared a post from food blogger and activist Jack Monroe, who tweeted: “You don’t have to ‘man up’ – the biggest killer of men under 45 is suicide. The strongest thing to do is talk.”

It is believed Billy, a cameraman who worked on The Antiques Roadshow and The X Factor, had been experiencing serious financial difficulties and had fallen victim to a fraudulent accountant – who is now behind bars.

It has also been reported he had previously suffered from mental health issues.

Zoe and Billy had been in a relationship since February and she said he had given her a ‘new lease of life’

Shortly after his body was found, Zoe posted a picture of a simple pink flower captioned: “My sweet love”.

Her spokesman said soon after the news broke: ‘Zoe is devastated and requests that during this difficult time the media respect her privacy as well as the privacy of her friends and family.’

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