Zoe Ball

Zoe Louise Ball(born 23 November 1970)is a British broadcaster and presenter. She was the first female host of theRadio 1andRadio 2breakfast shows for the BBC, and in 2024 was confirmed as the second-highest paid BBC presenter afterGary Lineker.
In 2018, Ball was announced as the new host ofThe Radio 2 Breakfast Showand took over fromChris Evansin January 2019,before stepping down from the programme in December 2024.
Ball presented the children's showLive & Kicking, alongsideJamie Theakstonfrom 1996 until 1999. In 2005, she was a contestant in thethird seriesofStrictly Come Dancing. Following this, in 2011 she replacedClaudia Winklemanas host of theBBC Twospin-off showStrictly Come Dancing: It Takes Twountil her departure in 2021. Ball also hosted theStrictly Come Dancing Live Tourin 2011 and 2015.
Zoe Ball was born inBlackpool,Lancashire, and grew up inFarnham Common,Buckinghamshire. She is the daughter of the children's TV presenterJohnny Balland his wife Julia (néeAnderson). The couple divorced when Zoe was twoand she was raised with her father.
Ball was educated at Heston Junior School in the district ofHounslowbetween 1975 and 1978. Her family then moved toFarnham Commonin Buckinghamshire. She attended Farnham Common First School and Farnham Common Middle School before moving toHoly Cross Convent SchoolinChalfont St PeterandAmershamCollege of Art and Technologyfor a "City & Guildsin radio and journalism".
She also attended the Young Theatre atBeaconsfieldwhere she trained as an actress. Her first TV appearance was as a child in the studio audience of the Saturday morning children's show,Saturday Superstore, on which her father was appearing as a guest.
Ball began her television career as a presenter on the pre-school programmePlaydays.
Ball became a runner atGranada Televisionand researcher forCool Cube(1990–1994),a children's Saturday afternoon magazine show, produced at Granada's studio in Manchester, by Clear Idea Television, and broadcast on theBritish Satellite BroadcastingchannelGalaxy.
In 1994–1996, Ball presentedSMartwithMark SpeightandJay Burridge. In 1995, Ball hostedFully Bookedfor the first series. In 1997 and 1998, she was a regular presenter onTop of the Pops,usually alternating with fellow presenters and DJsJayne MiddlemissandJo Whiley.
In 1996, Ball was a co-host withJamie TheakstoninBBC One's Saturday morning children's programLive & Kicking.In 1998, television personalityChris Evanswas a guest of the show,and later employed both Ball and Theakston to co-host theChannel 4Wednesday night chat/music showThe Priory, underGinger Productions.
Ball’s presenting jobs have also included hostingThe Big BreakfastonChannel 4,
Ball co-hosted the 2002Brit AwardswithFrank Skinner,In 2005, she co-hosted theBBCreality showStrictly Dance Fever.In 2006, Ball co-hosted theITVprogrammeExtinct, alongsideTrevor McDonald.
In January 2007, Ball presented the second series of ITV'sSoapstar Superstar,taking over fromFern BrittonandBen Shephard, who hosted the first series. In March 2007, she hosted theITVtalent searchGrease Is the Word.
AlongsideJamie Theakston, Ball presentedChannel 5's quiz seriesBritain's Best Brainin 2009.Ball has guest presented several episodes ofThe One Showas a stand-in forAlex Jones.
On 4 August 2013, as hostess of a special entitledDoctor Who Live: The Next Doctor, she revealedPeter Capaldias the incomingTwelfth Doctorand hosted his first interview in that capacity.
In November 2013, Ball co-hosted theBBC OneChildren in Needtelethon, alongside SirTerry Wogan,Fearne Cotton,Nick GrimshawandTess Daly.In 2014, Ball presented aBBC Twospin-off fromThe Voice UKcalledThe Voice: Louder on Two.The show aired for one series of ten episodes.
In 2015, Ball hostedEastEnders: Backstage Live, a spin-off show during theEastEnderslive week.She co-presented theBBC Young Dancercompetition withDarcey Bussellon BBC Two.
Ball also narrated two ITV Specials,The Nation's Favourite '70s Number OneandThe Nation's Favourite '80s Number Oneas well as the BBC One seriesDon't Tell the Bride.In 2016, Ball co-presentedCan't Touch This, a Saturday night game show for BBC One, alongsideAshley Banjo.
Ball narratedThe Nation's Favourite Carpenters Song, and guest-presented an episode ofFilm 2016.In 2017, Ball co-presentedThe Big Family Cooking ShowdownwithNadiya Hussainon BBC Two.
Since 2020, Ball has appeared alongside her son Woody Fred Cook onCelebrity Gogglebox.
In 2021, Ball appeared onThe Masked Dancer, masked as Llama. She was the sixth celebrity to be unmasked.
In 2023, Ball appeared as herself in Episode 1 of theBBC OnecomedyQueen of Oz.  Ball is seen and heard on her radio programme questioning the outrageous antics of spoiled spare to the British crown, Princess Georgiana, played byCatherine Tate.
In 2024, Ball appeared as a panellist on the "New Year's Treat" episode ofTaskmasterfor that year.
In October 2005, Ball became a contestant on thethird seriesof the BBC One talent showStrictly Come Dancing, where she was partnered byIan Waite. Ball and Waite were ranked in third place;they also scored 38/40 (including two tens) for three dances in the series and one in the Christmas special.
In 2011, Ball took over fromClaudia Winklemanas the host ofStrictly Come Dancing's sister showIt Takes Two,airing every weeknight onBBC Two; in 2014, whilst Winkleman was on leave after her daughter suffered serious burn injuries, Ball co-hosted the main show.On 17 May 2021, Ball announced she was leaving her role as presenter after 10 years.
Although known primarily for her TV work, Ball first worked in radio, after she became co-host ofRadio 1 BreakfastonBBC Radio 1in October 1997 withKevin Greening.She became the sole host, the first female DJ to do so. At this time, her hard-drinking, hard-partying lifestyle contributed to the identification of the so-called "ladette culture" of the late 1990s.She was twice warned by the BBC for swearing on the radio.
Ball leftBBC Radio 1in March 2000. Her final show was on 10 March 2000;she was succeeded bySara Cox.
Ball returned to radio in mid-2002 when she joined London radio stationXfm, where she presented the weekday drivetime show until December 2003. In January 2004, she took over a Friday evening music show for the station. She also stood in forRicky Gervaiswhile he filmed the second series ofThe Office.She left Xfm at the end of 2004.
In September 2007, she returned to BBC Radio and co-hosted a show withSara Cox, celebrating 40 years ofBBC Radio 1andBBC Radio 2.
From 2006, she provided relief presenting duties forBBC Radio 2, fronted specialist documentaries, sat in forDermot O'Learyfor three weeks in February 2006, and co-presented (withDanny Baker) the hastily conceived replacement forJonathan Ross' Saturday morning show, in the wake of Ross's suspension due toSachsgatein 2008.
In 2009, Ball became the usual relief presenter forKen Bruce's weekday mid-morning show on BBC Radio 2. She also began hosting the Saturday breakfast show from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. on the network from 6 June 2009 as part of a shake-up of weekend programming at Radio 2.Ball left Radio 2 for a while as her last show was broadcast on Saturday 28 January 2012. Her replacement in that slot wasAnneka Rice.
Ball coveredThe Radio 2 Breakfast ShowforChris Evanson several occasions.
From 4 March 2017 until 22 December 2018, Ball returned to Radio 2 on permanent basis where she presented the Saturday afternoon slot on BBC Radio 2 between 3–6pm, taking over fromDermot O'Leary.
On 3 October 2018, she was announced by Chris Evans as the new host ofThe Radio 2 Breakfast Show, which began on 14 January 2019.Rylan Clarkreplaced Ball in the Saturday mid-afternoon slot.
In August 2024, the BBC confirmed Ball was the second-highest paid BBC presenter afterGary Lineker, with a salary of £950,000, having  exceeded that figure for the previous three years.
On 23 September 2024, Ball announced she was returning to Radio 2, six weeks after announcing a break from the show.On 19 November she announced on the show that she would stop being the presenter of the Breakfast Show from 20 December, but would remain working for the station.
Whilst atBBC Radio 1, Ball began a relationship with the DJ and musician Norman Cook, known asFatboy Slim.The couple married atBabington HouseinSomersetin August 1999. In 2003, Ball and Cook separated when Ball revealed that she had had an affair; they later reconciled.The couple have a son, Woody Fred Cook (born 2000), and a daughter, Nelly (born 2010).On 24 September 2016, Cook and Ball announced their separation after 18 years together, and later divorcedin 2020
Between 2017 and 2023, Ball was in a relationship with fashion model and carpenter Michael Reed.
In 2014, she supportedMarks & SpencerandOxfam's Love Mum campaign.
In March 2018, Ball took part in the 'Hardest Ride Home' challenge in which she cycled from Blackpool to Brighton to raise money forSport Reliefand mental health awareness. She set off on 5 March for five days.Highlights of the challenge were broadcast in a one-off documentary, airing on 21 March 2018 onBBC One. She raised £1,198,012.