Zoe Ball has returned back to “where it all began” at her beloved BBC Radio 2.
The star stepped back in the studio to start her new weekend show this month after originally moving away from radio in December 2024.
The presenter, 54, has a new show just on Saturday afternoons, a move she says he prefers to working five days a week on early morning slots.
Kicking off her new programme on Saturday (3 May), Ball said: “Hello it's me, oh it's lovely to be back on a Saturday.”
The presenter admitted that she’s “had a few lie-ins” since leaving the programme and that people have now learnt “not to phone me before half-past-nine”.
But why did she leave Radio 2 in the first place and what did she do in her break?
Why did Zoe Ball quit Radio 2?
Ball announced her BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show departure in November 2024. She was replaced by former Radio 1DJ Scott Mills.
She said: “After six incredible years, it’s time to step away from the very early mornings and focus on family.” This followed the death of her mother, Julia, from cancer earlier that year.
She also revealed that same month that she has a medical condition which causes pain in her jaw joint and the surrounding muscles, causing “awful headaches”.
Upon her departure, she thanked her children, Woody, 24, and 14-year-old Nelly, saying they “fill me with wonder every day; being your mum is the best thing that ever happened to me.”
According to the BBC’s 2023-2024 annual report, Ball was among the broadcaster’s highest-paid stars, receiving between £950,000 and £955,000.
She began her career as a runner and researcher, before becoming one of the UK;’s most recognisable TV hosts on The Big Breakfast and Live & Kicking in the 1990s.
Her father, Johnny Ball, 86, is a former British television presenter and mathematician best known for hosting educational children's programmes such as Think of a Number in the 1970s and 1980s.
What did she do in her career break?
Ball enjoyed a quieter pace of life , taking on a role at the Big Beach Café in the seaside town of Hove in East Sussex. Her ex-husband, Norman Cook, better known as Fatboy Slim, bought the café in 2013.
Despite separating in 2020, Ball and Cook have remained very close.
Their son, Woody, said it was “funny” to see the pair adopt a more calming lifestyle after years of being “crazy party people”.
Zoe Ball Factbox
- Zoe Ball was born in Blackpool in November, 1970.
- She began her career in television, initially on the children programme Playdays.
- Zoe Ball first entered the mainstream in 1994, when she presented SMart with Mark Speight and Jay Burridge.
- In 1996, Zoe Ball co-hosted the Saturday morning BBC One show Live & Kicking.
- She became the first female solo host of Radio 1 Breakfast in 1997.
- Zoe Ball married DJ Fatboy Slim in 1999 - they had two children together.
- After their separation, Zoe Ball was in a relationship with model Michael Reed.
- In 2024, she stepped down from the Breakfast Show.
He told MailOnline: “In the last five years, it's been funny watching my parents take up gardening both of them. These crazy party people I grew up with are now gardening, making puzzles and working in the local café.”
When will Zoe be back at the BBC?
She is back! She will continue presenting her new Radio 2 show from 1pm to 3pm every Saturday for the foreseeable future.
Ball will also host two special shows, including a concert celebrating Elaine Paige’s 60-year showbusiness career.
Helen Thomas, head of Radio 2: “Zoe is one of the UK’s most loved presenters, so I’m thrilled to announce that she has a new home on Radio 2 on Saturday lunchtimes, plus she’ll be hosting various specials for us throughout the year.”
Ball has also reportedly signed up to be one of the stars on the next run of the BBC show Who Do You Think You Are?
The show follows celebrities as they trace their past and learn more about their ancestry and heritage.
An insider told the Sun: "Zoe comes from a famous family but not much is known beyond that.
"She was really excited to get be asked to the do show and is really looking forward to seeing what they find."
