Zoe Ball, a 55-year-old former Top Of The Pops host, is rejoining BBC colleagues at Greatest Hits Radio after leaving her £520k-a-year job at BBC Radio 2 due to personal turmoil. She had quit her radio show amid grief over the loss of her mother, Julia, to pancreatic cancer in 2024, and struggled with perimenopausal anxiety. Ball will host a weekday show on Greatest Hits from 1pm to 4pm, reunifying with colleagues like Ken Bruce and Simon Mayo. Her return marks a fresh chapter for the BBC veteran, who had been working through personal tragedies, including the breakdown of her relationship and the loss of another partner, Billy Yates, in 2017.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
- See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source
Zoe Ball is preparing to reunite with a host of veteran BBC radio presenters today when she presents her first show on Greatest Hits Radio.
asserted
she → see → Radio
The former Top Of The Pops host is making her grand return to radio after leaving BBC Radio 2 at the height of her success, quitting the coveted Breakfast Show in 2024 and her Saturday afternoon show a year later.
asserted
host → make → 2024
Now fans will be able to hear her dulcet tones once more on Greatest Hits, where Zoe, 55, will host a weekday show 1pm to 4pm.
asserted
Zoe → hear → pm
It will see her reunite with former BBC colleagues, Ken Bruce, 75, who hosts the mid-morning show before her slot, and Simon Mayo, 67, who follows her show with Drivetime.
asserted
who → see → Drivetime
Presenters Alex Lester, 70, Richard Allinson, 67, Paul Gambaccini, 77, and Andy Crane, 62, have also moved over to Greatest Hits from the Beeb in recent years.
asserted
Lester → move → years
Yet while Zoe will no doubt be delighted to be in the company of old friends, her stint on Greatest Hits also marks a fresh chapter for the BBC veteran.
asserted
stint → mark → veteran
Last year she quit her £520k-a-year Radio 2 show amid a time of personal turmoil, and has spent the past few months working through the tragedies that have beset her in life.
asserted
that → quit → life
Zoe Ball, 55, will reunite with former BBC colleagues as she launches her new weekday show on Greatest Hits Radio.
asserted
she → reunite → Radio
Ken Bruce, 75, hosts mid-morning and Simon Mayo, 67, hosts Drivetime
asserted
Mayo → host → Drivetime
Last year she quit her £520k-a-year Radio 2 show amid a time of personal turmoil, and has spent the past few months working through the tragedies that have beset her in life
She later explained how she was struggling to cope with her grief after losing her mum to cancer in 2024, which combined with 'crippling' anxiety from perimenopause made her unable to make it through some of her shows.
asserted
her → quit → shows
In April 2024, Zoe's mother Julia died after a battle with pancreatic cancer – with Zoe saying at the time that the family were 'bereft' but would 'hold so tight to each other'.
asserted
family → die → other
This heartbreak came less than a year after her five-and-a-half year relationship with model Michael Reed was revealed to have broken down in May 2023.
uncertain
relationship → come → May
Another previous partner, Billy Yates, took his own life in 2017 – coming a year after the breakdown of her 18-year marriage to Norman.
asserted
partner → take → Norman
Zoe and Norman, who announced their separation in 2016 then divorced in 2020, remain on good terms.
asserted
who → announce → terms
The decision to step back from her Radio 2 afternoon show allowed her time to properly grieve the death of her mother, as well as spend time with daughter Nelly, who was going through her GCSEs at the time of her BBC exit.
asserted
who → step → exit
Zoe told friend Jo Whiley on the pair's Dig It Podcast: 'Well, you know how it's been.
asserted
it → tell → Podcast
I lost mum and I really was like, I want to take some time and I want to go and be there for my girl because I've always worked.
asserted
I → lose → girl
'After losing mum, I thought, hang on, no, stop, take some time, be there for your girl during her GCSEs.
asserted
I → lose → GCSEs
But Nelly is now 16 and recently moved out of Zoe's home to live with her dad, the DJ Fatboy Slim, aka Norman Cook, gently forcing Zoe to reconsider her priorities.
asserted
Nelly → move → priorities
'I've sort of said on the pod, actually, I've been around and she's a bit like, "mum, what are you still doing here?"
asserted
you → say → what
And she's finished her GCSEs now and she's loving her freedom
asserted
she → finish → freedom
,' she mused.
asserted
she → muse → ?
In April 2024, Zoe's mother Julia died after a battle with pancreatic cancer – with Zoe saying at the time that the family were 'bereft' but would 'hold so tight to each other'
asserted
family → die → other
Zoe's mother's death isn't the only tragedy she has faced after her previous partner Billy Yates (pictured) took his own life in 2017
Zoe shares two children, Woody, 25, and Nelly, 16, with her ex husband Norman and the pair are still on good terms with the DJ even calling Zoe his 'soulmate'
'
asserted
DJ → face → Zoe
Anyway, this really amazing opportunity came up,' Zoe continued, adding that her afternoon show fits in perfectly with home life.
asserted
show → come → life
It's one till four, which is great because it means I get to be mum in the morning and mum in the evening if I need to.
asserted
I → mean → evening
I can be around if she needs me,' she gushed.
asserted
she → need → me
'And I'm following my wonderful friend Ken Bruce and then I'm going into my mate Simon Mayo because I used to do breakfast with Simon Mayo before.
asserted
I → follow → Mayo
'So I've got friends either side and I will be playing great music from the 70s, 80s and 90s at Greatest Hits Radio.
asserted
I → get → Radio
'
'There's a load of old mates there and they've been really welcoming, but it was just too good to turn down.
asserted
it → be → mates
So I'm going to be back behind the mic five days a week.
asserted
I → go → mic
Zoe also explained that symptoms of perimenopause combined with her grief had left her struggling at work.
asserted
symptoms → explain → work
She said on her podcast: 'I started to have panic attacks and I think it was from grief, because that’s when it started for me.’
Zoe added that ‘crippling’ was ‘the word’ she would use to describe how she felt, adding that she ‘didn’t really know where to go with it’ as she was reluctant to visit her GP.
The presenter said that, for two years during that period, she was on antidepressants to cope with the anxiety and panic attacks.
asserted
she → say → attacks
‘I did take them for a couple of years,’ she wrote on Instagram in reply to a follower’s comment.
asserted
she → take → comment
I appreciate everyone has a very different experience.’
asserted
everyone → appreciate → experience
Announcing in December that she would be fully stepping down from BBC Radio 2, Zoe revealed she wanted be there more for her children as Nelly prepares to do her GCSEs
asserted
Nelly → announce → GCSEs
Yet while Zoe has no regrets about leaving BBC, it's a bold move for the star, who started her career co-presenting Radio 1 Breakfast with Kevin Greening in 1997.
asserted
who → have → 1997
She had hoped to remain at the Beeb in a different form – as the host of Strictly Come Dancing – but despite bookies' naming her the front-runner for the role, the former It Takes Two host missed out on the job.
Instead, Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman are set to be replaced by Emma Wills, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe.
Zoe was candid about the rejection, saying in May that she had 'worked through the seven stages of grief and rejection'.
She elaborated: 'I didn’t get it, but it’s OK.
uncertain
it → hop → it
I made it in the mix, and I had a really fun time having one last little play at a show that I love and adore.
asserted
I → make → that
And I'm so thrilled for the gang that has got it.
asserted
that → get → it
…and 21 more, not listed.
