ZOE Ball choked back tears as she admitted suffering an “emotional breakdown” during a “brutal” period of her life last year.
The BBC Radio 2 anchor bravely told how she was left unable to move on the kitchen floor after being struck down with grief following her mum’s passing.
Zoe Ball fought back tears as she revealed her ’emotional breakdown’ that left her unable to move on the floor of her kitchen[/caption]
It came after the tragic passing of her mum Julia last year[/caption]
Zoe told of the ‘brutal’ life chapter which saw her return to work a month after her mum’s death[/caption]
Zoe, 54, made her confession on her Dig It podcast with Jo Whiley[/caption]
Last April, Zoe, 54, revealed her “dear mama’s” sad death.
At the time, she admitted the family were “bereft” after the tragedy, which came after her parent Julia’s battle with pancreatic cancer.
Now, in her podcast with fellow BBC Radio 2 anchor Jo Whiley, Zoe has revealed the heartbreaking impact of her loss.
She told her pal on Dig It: “I couldn’t work.
“I was on the floor in the kitchen. I couldn’t, I couldn’t move
“I had a proper emotional breakdown, you know, I haven’t really talked about it actually.
“But it was, yeah, it was brutal.
“I had an amazing doctor who turned up at my door with coffee and bagels and said, ‘so, we need to get you some help’, and he was wonderful.”
She admitted the process of grief was ongoing.
Zoe told how she struggled particularly on the anniversary of her mum’s death and said there was “a lot of crying and pain” that “still has to come out.”
OFF AIR
Back in May, Zoe bravely returned to the channel following her mum’s death.
As she battled her grief, she made her comeback before again being ‘taken off air.”
Last autumn, Zoe then “went missing” from her then Breakfast Show slot, sparking concern among her fans.
The no-show came shortly after the BBC released a statement on the broadcaster’s future after she “vanished” from her early-morning presenting gig.
Zoe Ball’s career so far
Zoe was born in Blackpool and is daughter of the children’s TV presenter Johnny Ball and his wife Julia.
She appeared on television at a young age as part of the studio audience of the Saturday morning children’s show, Saturday Superstore when her father was a guest.
The star began her career in broadcasting as a presenter on the pre-school programme Playdays.
After various behind the scenes roles, she earned a spot as a regular host of Top of the Pops, when she alternated with the likes of Jayne Middlemiss and Jo Whiley.
In 1996, she was chosen to front BBC One‘s saturday morning show Live & Kicking, which led to stints on The Big Breakfast on Channel 4.
But she maintained a huge presence on the radio as she was chosen to be the co-host of BBC Radio 1 Breakfast alongside Kevin Greening in October 1997.
Zoe was later appointed the sole host of the show in a groundbreaking move by the corporation as she was the first female DJ to hold the post.
The presenter chose to leave the station in March 2000 to start a family, where she was succeeded by Sara Cox.
As a mainstream face in TV through the noughties, she hosted a range of huge programmes for ITV, including the Brit Awards in 2002, Extinct in 2006, and both Soapstar Superstar and Grease Is The Word in 2007.
In mid-2002, she returned to radio when she joined Xfm (later known as Radio X), when she was the voice of the weekday drivetime show until December 2003. In 2004, she stood in for Ricky Gervais while he filmed the second series of The Office.
In October 2005, she appeared as a contestant on the third series of Strictly Come Dancing, where she was partnered with Ian Waite, The star impressed viewers with her footwork and the duo waltzed into third place.
In 2011, she returned to the franchise as she took over as the host of the magazine spin-off show, It Takes Two.
She also filled in for Claudia Winkleman on the main show in 2014, when The Traitors star took leave after her daughter suffered serious burn injuries.
After 10 years fronting the show, Zoe announced she was quitting her role on BBC Two in May 2021.
Zoe’s journey in BBC Radio 2 started in 2006 when she fronted specialist documentaries. Over the years she sat in for names such as Dermot O’Leary, Ken Bruce and Chris Evans.
After several shake-ups, she returned to the station on a permanent basis when she took over Dermot’s Saturday afternoon slot between 3pm and 6pm.
In October 2018, Chris Evans moved to Virgin Radio and he personally announced that Zoe would take over his popular slot. She started presenting the breakfast show on 14 January 2019.
At the time, a source told MailOnline how mystery surrounded Zoe’s absence and said: “Nobody knows what has happened but everyone loves Zoe.“
TRAGIC LOSS
Zoe revealed her mum’s passing on her page on X, posting a particularly emotional message in tribute.
It read: “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.
“We are bereft without you but will hold so tight to each other.”
Zoe’s son Woody said: “Today I say goodbye to Granny J, thank you for being a wonderful woman.
“The only person who always sent me a Valentine’s card.”
Her passing came days after Zoe revealed her mum had been moved into a hospice following her pancreatic cancer diagnosis.
ALL CHANGE
In November, it was revealed Zoe was quitting her Breakfast Show slot.
Zoe’s last show was on Friday, December 20 – with “plenty of fun and shenanigans.”
Zoe then revealed her replacement host as former Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills.
Yet her fans were delighted when she made her comeback to the station back in May.
Her two-hour Saturday show is billed on the BBC’s website as “the best songs and chat for a Saturday”.
Helen Thomas, head of Radio 2, previously said: “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.”
She recently revealed she quit her early-morning show to spend more time with her daughter Nelly – but she’s never at home.
Zoe told how the family had been left ‘bereft’ after mum Julia’s passing from pancreatic cancer[/caption]
She handed over the Radio 2 Breakfast show to her friend, Scott Mills[/caption]
She has now returned to the station for a Saturday show[/caption]