Zoe Ball has spoken about how gardening became a source of comfort as she navigated the grief of losing her partner Billy Yates.
The BBC broadcaster, 54, reflected on her experiences during the latest episode of Dig It, the podcast she co-hosts with Jo Whiley.
Discussing the therapeutic benefits of gardening, Ball revealed it became a safe space for her after Yates died in 2017.
She shared: “People bought roses for me when I lost Billy and Billy had tattoos up his arm of roses.
“When we lost him a lot of loved ones went and got the rose tattoo for him so people bought me roses to grow for him, which was such a lovely thing.”
Adding: “And we’ve talked about lost loved ones and how wonderful it is when these plants come to life and you know they are always with you.”
Yates, a cameraman, died aged 40 after a long struggle with depression.
Ball admitted she spent two years in shock after his death, which also prompted her to step away from her Radio 2 Breakfast show at the time.
Speaking on the podcast, she described how her garden became a retreat.
“That was where it started and I love that garden,” she shared. “It just became a place for me to take time at the end of the day and be able to breathe in and breathe out.
“And then you learn how wonderful it is to grow something yourself. I realised how good it was for me and how much I loved it.”
Ball also experienced further heartbreak last year with the death of her mother, who passed away in April following a short battle with pancreatic cancer.
In the aftermath, she stepped down from the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show last December to spend more time with her family.
In May, Ball marked the eighth anniversary of Yates’ death with a tribute, reflecting on the enduring impact of his loss.
Alongside a picture of the cameraman on his motorbike wearing a pair of shades, she wrote: “8 years forever in our hearts Billface #mateswithyates.”
Previously, Ball spoke of his death and the grief she endured after he took his own life in an emotional interview on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs in February 2020.
The broadcaster explained that Yates lived with depression for most of his life.
She said: “I think it’s so isolating to be trapped in your mind like that, when you doubt yourself, you doubt everything you’ve ever known. You doubt your family love you. You doubt your friends care for you.”
But she insisted there is always help available and that “it's important to share there is hope.”
If you’ve been affected by the topics discussed in article, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
