Zoe Ball appeared to be in high spirits at Glastonbury Festival on Friday, where she was seen strolling hand-in-hand with a mystery man - who onlookers couldn’t help but notice bears a striking resemblance to her ex-husband, Norman Cook, also known as Fatboy Slim.
The Radio 2 presenter, 54, was dressed casually in black with sunglasses as she soaked up the atmosphere at Worthy Farm. But it wasn’t just her lad-back festival look that caught the eye - her companion, described as tall with salt-and-pepper hair, drew attention for his uncanny likeness to Cook, 61.
The pair were seen walking through the VIP area, looking relaxed and close. “Zoe is down at Glastonbury as a punter and brought her new boyfriend along for the ride,” one onlooker told The Sun.
“They seemed blissfully happy and were strolling along holding hands. People were doing double takes - he really looks like Fatboy Slim! It’s great to see Zoe smiling again.”
Ball, who has been a staple of British broadcasting for decades, shares two children with Cook: son Woody, 24, and daughter Nelly, 14.
The former couple married in 1999 after meeting in Ibiza two years earlier, and despite separating in 2016 and finalising their divorce in 2020, they have maintained a friendly co-parenting relationship.
The broadcaster is believed to have sold her £2 million country home in Sussex to move closer to Cook in Brighton and Hove, where both now live as teetotallers after overcoming personal struggles with alcohol and stints in rehab.
In past interviews, Cook has credited Ball with helping keep him grounded during the peak of his music career.
“She knew the fame game, and we would check each other,” he told the Changes podcast. “If I wasn’t respectful, she’d pull me up. We were both good at keeping each other’s feet on the ground.”
Since the end of her marriage, Ball has experienced both heartbreak and new beginnings. She dated cameraman Billy Yates, who tragically died by suicide in 2017, and later entered a long-term relationship with former construction worker Michael Reed, which reportedly ended in 2023.
Friday’s appearance marks the first public sighting of Ball with a new partner since her split from Reed. The identity of her Glastonbury companion remains unknown, but the affectionate display has fuelled speculation that she may have found love again.
Ball has not commented on the sighting.
Her history with Cook is one of highs and lows, with brief separations and reconciliations throughout their 17-year marriage. Despite past challenges - including public admissions of infidelity and emotional struggles - both have spoken with mutual respect in recent years.
