2 weeks Ago By Lisa McLoughlin
Zoe Ball received heartfelt praise from her son Woody in a touching post on Thursday, as he shared adorable family photos to celebrate her six years hosting the Radio 2 Breakfast Show . The 53-year-old presenter recently announced her decision to step down from the £950,000-a-year role to “focus on family.” Marking the milestone, Woody, 23, posted a sweet photo featuring himself, his 14-year-old sister Nelly, their mum Zoe, and dad Norman Cook, 61.
Alongside the snap, he wrote: "Well done Mama on a fabulous stint on Radio 2!" “Heres to more time at home! Excuse the whole family pick can’t find enough crackers with @zoetheball. YOU ARE AMAZING. 4AM is a crazy time to get up!” Zoe was quick to comment, writing: “love you Bear.
beyond xxx”. Ball was previously married to Cook, known as Fatboy Slim, but split in 2016. Earlier this week, the broadcaster announced on air that she will leave the Radio 2 Breakfast Show after six years to "focus on family," though she plans to remain with the station.
In an official statement, she said: “After six incredible years on the Radio 2 Breakfast Show, it’s time for me to step away from the very early mornings and focus on family. It’s been a privilege. I think the world of you listeners and I’m grateful to my bosses here for their support, especially this year.
Ball said her last show will be on December 20: “Just in time for Christmas with plenty of fun and shenanigans. While I’m stepping away from the Breakfast Show, I’m not disappearing entirely – I’ll still be a part of the Radio 2 family, with more news in the New Year. “I’m excited to embrace my next chapter, including being a mum in the mornings, and I can’t wait to tune in on the school run!” Ball took over presenting the morning programme in 2019 from Chris Evans and announced her departure on Tuesday after six years, saying it was time for her to “step away from the very early mornings and focus on family”.
Scott Mills, who currently hosts Radio 2’s weekday afternoon programme from 2-4pm, will begin fronting the programme from early January. The broadcaster had previously taken a six-week break from the show over the summer, during which Mills stepped in as her temporary replacement, before her return in September, and, in April this year, announced the death of her mother, Julia Peckham. Ball was the BBC’s highest paid, on-air, female presenter in 2023-24 with a salary between £950,000 and £954,999, ranking her second on the list of top-earning talent behind Gary Lineker, according to the corporation’s annual report published in July.
She was the first female host of the Radio 1 Breakfast Show in 1998, a post she held until 2000, and she also co-hosted the BBC’s Saturday morning children’s magazine, Live & Kicking, alongside Jamie Theakston for three years from 1996..
