Zoe

ZOE Ball has bid her final farewells to her BBC Radio 2 show today.

The radio presenter, 55, announced she would be leaving her beloved Saturday show earlier this month, with today being her final time on air.

She was greeted by fans outside Broadcasting house before taking to the airwaves.

It comes just a year after Zoe stepped down from her breakfast programme on the same station, after hosting it for six year.

Though Zoe won’t be completely absent from the airwaves – continuing to host specials on the station less frequently.

Presenter Romesh Ranganathan today handed over to Zoe before her show kicked off at 1pm.

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Romesh compared Zoe leaving to a “death in the family” and shared heartfelt messages from fans, before adding: “It’s your last show! I’m gonna miss seeing you every Saturday.

“How are you feeling?”

Zoe replied: “It’s my last Saturday show … I’m feeling like everybody else is feeling at this time of year …

“Don’t worry I won’t be a stranger.”

Romesh also teased the rumours that Zoe is taking over from Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman as the host of Strictly Come Dancing next year.

He said: “Is it true you’re leaving your Saturday show because of …”

He then quipped: “Sally on traffic, it’s that, let’s put that down now.”

Zoe played along and said: “Sally and I have been in love with each other for a long time and we’ve decided we can’t possibly work in the same building anymore because the magnetism is too much.”

Zoe’s announcement comes after she was included in the BBC’s “Golden Ten” shortlist of presenters tested for the perfect on-screen partnership to replace Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly.

The Sun revealed that Zoe Ball was one of the ten stars put through their paces in order to find the perfect on screen partnership in a top-secret chemistry test.

The news has sparked excitement that Ball could be in the running to replace Tess and Claudia as Strictly Come Dancing host.

HARRY Styles’ American actress girlfriend Zoe Kravitz has been spotted wearing a ring on her wedding finger.

The star, 37, looked more loved up than ever with her 31-year-old pop star partner as they wandered arm in arm in Rome.

Zoe wore a gold band on her wedding ring finger weeks after first sparking engagement rumours.

Harry – who is worth £225million – carried a shopping bag after popping into a jewellery store on a Christmas shopping trip.

He wore a long grey coat with sunglasses placed on top of his head, while Zoe’s relaxed cape-style jacket with a bright purple scarf.

The Sun revealed how Harry and Zoe had begun dating casually – after years of friendship – back in August.

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Harry has dated some of the most high-profile women on the planet including Taylor Swift and Kendall Jenner, with last proper relationship being with director Olivia Wilde.

Meanwhile Zoe has been single since October 2024, when she and fellow actor Channing Tatum called off their engagement after three years.

Since hooking up with Harry, the pair have been inseparable – travelling to New York and Rome in recent months.

And in an unusual move for both the stars they have ended up being photographed a lot.

They haven’t shied away from the camera like they would usually do – and we can reveal why.

Our insider explained: “Harry is a very private man – it’s no secret he’s dated lots of people but it’s not always so public. 

“If he wanted to, Harry knows exactly how to keep things underwraps.

“He’s been in this industry a long time and he knows how his fanbase reacts to things. 

“He doesn’t take introducing the world to a new girlfriend lightly. 

“He has thought long and hard about it but he’s prepared for the backlash because he thinks Zoe is the real deal.

“It’s never easy for someone to date Harry and they’ve definitely chatted about what it will be like – and Zoe is fully on board. 

“It’s not just a fling and them happily being snapped really shows that.”

AFTER nearly two decades of filling Saturday lunchtimes with her wit and warm charm, Zoe Ball is stepping away from her BBC Radio 2 show.

The beloved presenter will air her final programme on December 20, bringing an end to a chapter that has made her a fixture of British radio.

Her announcement comes after she was included in the BBC’s “Golden Ten” shortlist of presenters tested for the perfect on-screen partnership to replace Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly.

The Sun revealed that Zoe Ball was one of the ten stars put through their paces in order to find the perfect on screen partnership in a top-secret chemistry test.

The news has sparked excitement that Ball could be in the running to replace Tess and Claudia as Strictly Come Dancing host.

Earlier this series, the duo dropped a bombshell, revealing they would be stepping away from the beloved BBC dance show for the final time.

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Bookies have now suspended betting on who the replacements could be following Ball’s announcement.

Amid all these changes, there have also been personal developments in her life.

Zoe revealed she has a mystery “lodger” who, she joked, has “won more awards” than her.

The Radio 2 presenter dropped the hint on her “Dig It” podcast, confessing that her multimillion-pound pad now has a very special new resident.

While Zoe has hinted at a mystery man, the status of their relationship remains unclear.

Her last public romance was with construction worker Michael Reed, which ended in 2023.

Zoe was married to DJ Norman Cook (better known as Fatboy Slim) for 18 years, before splitting in 2016.

The couple, who co-parent their children Woody and Nelly, have stayed close since their split, with Norman even calling Zoe his “soulmate.”

It comes after Zoe quit the Radio 2 breakfast show at the end of 2024 following the heartbreaking loss of her mum, Julia Peckham, to cancer in April last year.

She left the coveted slot she’d held for six years to “focus on family,” and took a four-and-a-half month break from the radio following her mother’s death.

At the time, Zoe shared a touching tribute to her late mum on social media, saying: “Sleep tight dear Mama. 

“Thank you for teaching us how to love unconditionally, to always show courage and empathy, and how, even in the darkest of days, laughter is the greatest of gifts.”

Opening up about her grief, Zoe revealed she found the first birthday of her mum, Julia, since her death especially hard.

She said: “It’s a year and a bit since we lost mum, and I found her birthday this year, the toughest, the toughest, you know, a whole year later.

“That was brutal. It was a week of absolute weeping, I still get quite emotional sort of talking about mum, even now.”

Speaking on her podcast, Zoe choked back tears as she admitted suffering an “emotional breakdown” during a this “brutal” period of her life last year.

The presenter bravely told how she was left unable to move on the kitchen floor after being struck down with grief following her mum’s passing.

It’s been a chaotic time for Zoe and her family with her dad, TV legend Johnny Ball, revealing earlier this year he had been secretly fighting prostate cancer.

The 87-year-old broadcaster endured three brutal months of daily radiation treatment back in 2022, but is now “through it” and feeling”fine”.

She has admitted she occasionally questions whether leaving her flagship BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show was the right move, after stepping down to spend more time with her teenage daughter.

This year brought another blow when a yob smashed Zoe’s car window and stole her handbag while she was appearing on The One Show.

“Someone had smashed the front window of my car, that’s never happened to me before,” she revealed.

Initially frozen from the shock of the attack, she said: “I got in and I had a massive cry.”

Despite leaving her regular radio show, she promises fans she isn’t disappearing completely, with special broadcasts lined up over the festive season and into the new year.

The 55-year-old broadcasting favourite is set to be replaced by presenter Emma Willis.

She said: “I have loved being betwixt my dear friends Romesh (Ranganathan) and Rylan (Clark), and you know, I love you all to bits, but I’m not disappearing completely.

“Obviously, it’ll be Christmas Crooners and I’m doing an eras show in the new year, more on that later.

“But I am thrilled to tell you that you will be in the safest of hands, because there is a superwoman who is no stranger to you all, but this does mean that she will officially become a member of the Radio 2 family.“

The adored host first took to the air as co-host of the Radio 1 Breakfast Show nearly thirty years ago, before becoming the first female DJ to host the primetime slot solo.

Zoe was the BBC’s second-highest paid presenter while she was hosting the coveted morning slot, pocketing £950,000 between April 2023 and 2024, just behind Gary Lineker.

Zoe had been one of the contenders to replace the much-loved pair on Strictly, amongst others including Alan Carr and Rylan Clark.

After quitting her radio show, the mum-of-two is now pipping the rest at the top.

Emma Willis, who is due to replace Ball on her Radio 2 show from next weekend, said:

Willis said: “I’m a huge fan of Radio 2, so I’m absolutely chuffed to be joining the family, and it’s a real honour to follow in the huge footsteps Zoe leaves behind, who’s someone I admire and adore.

“I’m very much looking forward to spending my Saturday lunchtimes with the Radio 2 audience and I’ll happily be the filling to a Romesh and Rylan sandwich!”

ZOE Ball celebrated her daughter Nelly’s 16th birthday with a big bash this weekend, reuniting with her ex husband Norman Cook for the milestone.

The party coincided with the shock news that Zoe has quit her Radio 2 show after just seven months at the helm.

Zoe shares Nelly and son Woody, 24, with Norman, who she split from in 2016 after 18 years together.

But the former couple remain on good terms, and reunited for their daughters big birthday this weekend.

Sharing an insight into the bash, Zoe posted a reel on Instagram and wrote: “Baby Girls Early 16th Birthday Party…oldies snuck in before it kicks off

“We love you beautiful noodle, can’t wait for the gossip.”

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The bash featured giant balloons spelling out Nelly’s name, along with a banner which read “Holy s**t you’re 16”.

Nelly’s older brother Woody was there to celebrate his sibling, as Zoe shared a snap of her two kids together.

Their dad, Norman, also appeared in high spirits as he donned a shirt with Nelly’s face printed across it.

It seems that Norman, also known as Fatboy Slim, was fittingly behind the DJ decks for the night, too.

The bash came just hours after it was revealed that Zoe has quit her BBC Radio 2 lunchtime show.

Zoe took on the show just seven months ago, after she stepped down from the station’s breakfast show.

She is set to be replaced by Emma Willis, who says she is a “huge fan” of the show.

Speaking on air on Saturday, Zoe told listeners: “I have loved being betwixt my dear friends Romesh (Ranganathan) and Rylan (Clark), and you know, I love you all to bits, but I’m not disappearing completely.

“Obviously, it’ll be Christmas Crooners and I’m doing an eras show in the new year, more on that later.”

“I am thrilled to tell you that you will be in the safest of hands, because there is a super woman who is no stranger to you all, but this does mean that she will officially become a member of the Radio 2 family.”

Emma said she is excited to be taking on the role: “I’m a huge fan of Radio 2, so I’m absolutely chuffed to be joining the family – and it’s a real honour to follow in the huge footsteps Zoe leaves behind, who’s someone I admire and adore.”

The new host signed off: “I’m very much looking forward to spending my Saturday lunchtimes with the Radio 2 audience and I’ll happily be the filling to a Romesh and Rylan sandwich!”

The news comes as Zoe is one of the “Golden Ten” shortlist of presenters that BBC bosses have lined up to step into the shoes of Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly.

The Sun revealed that Zoe was one of the ten stars put through their paces in order to find the perfect on screen partnership in a top-secret chemistry test.