Johnny Ball has claimed his daughter Zoe Ball now enjoys a closer friendship with ex-husband Norman Cook than when they were married.
The former children’s TV presenter, 87, made the surprising remark during an interview with Boom Radio — nearly a decade after Zoe and Norman, known professionally as Fatboy Slim, confirmed their separation in 2016.
“They’re very good friends today,” Johnny said. “They’re divorced, but they’re better… if you like, they’re closer today than they were when they were married. And that’s a lovely thing.”
The former couple, who wed in 1999, share two children — son Woody Fred Cook, 24, and daughter Nelly May Louise Cook, 15.
Their relationship faced public scrutiny in 2003 when Zoe admitted having an affair with DJ Dan Peppe. At the time, Norman said he would forgive her if she promised not to see Peppe again, recalling: “I still love her. If you love someone you’ll forgive them.”
Zoe followed her father into showbusiness, carving out a successful career as a Radio 1 DJ in the 1990s. It was through her work in Ibiza in 1998 that she met Norman, who had risen to fame with chart-topping hits including Praise You and Right Here, Right Now.
Following their split, Norman described going through a “traumatic year” and credited music with helping him cope. “For those two hours when I’m on stage, I forget all my worries,” he told the Daily Star.
Zoe went on to date cameraman Billy Yates in 2017, who tragically died by suicide later that year after a long battle with depression.
She then began a relationship with Michael Reed, but the couple separated in 2023 after “growing apart.”
In April 2024, Zoe suffered further heartbreak when her mother Julia died from pancreatic cancer, just weeks after Zoe announced her diagnosis. Around the same time, she revealed she was stepping down from her BBC Radio 2 breakfast show after battling ongoing health issues, telling listeners she needed to focus on recovery and family.
While Zoe’s love life has played out publicly, little is known about Norman’s since their split, though he was linked to Zoe’s friend Nicola Lokko in 2018.
The pair are now said to have an effective co-parenting relationship, with Zoe calling him “the best dad” in a 2020 interview with Red magazine, adding: “It’s not always been easy and it’s taken time.”
