Zoe Ball returned to the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show this morning six weeks after she was replaced on air without warning…
BBC Radio 2 presenter Zoe Ball has returned to the air six weeks after she was replaced on the Breakfast Show without warning.
Speaking to fans at the top of the show at 6.30am she said: “Morning gorgeous people its me Zoe the happy wanderer. I’ve wandered back. How was your Brat summer? Was it marvellous? We did that in the 90s it was called something different then…” she quipped.
“I hope you’ve been enjoying some of the gorgeous sunsets over the last few weeks. It’s a tad soggy our end this morning. Take it easy out on the road,” she added.
The presenter then said gave a special mention to her ‘dear friend’ Scott Mills, as she thanked him for ‘looking after’ the show when she was off, ‘but more on that later’ she added.
“What have I missed? Text me. I’ve missed ya,” Zoe told listeners. After playing kicking off Monday’s show with September by Earth Wind and Fire, Zoe addressed her absence again, joking she hadn’t gone to Turkey to have her ‘face and teeth’ done.
“You do look great though,” newsreader Tina Daheley told her. Zoe said she had ‘so much gossip’ to catch up on, but teased some of that would have to be reserved for off-air conversations with her fellow presenters.
Zoe, 53, had alerted fans that she was returning to her £950,000 role after her mysterious absence on Sunday night. In a post to X, formerly Twitter, she said: “Back on breakfast @bbcradio2 tomorrow morning at 6:30
Later in her first show back, Zoe spoke out about fellow radio presenters Lauren Laverne and Jamie Theakston, who both went public with their cancer diagnoses while she has been off air.
Zoe told listeners that their messages of support to her “meant the world” before turning her attention to her friends’ health battles. She added: “I must say, while we are sending some love, our breakfast friends Lauren Laverne, our mate at 6 Music is currently going through some cancer treatment. She’s doing OK but I just want to send my love out to her.”
Zoe also said that Heart Breakfast’s Theakston, who has been a good friend of Zoe’s since they fronted BBC children’s TV show Live & Kicking together, was going through stage one laryngeal cancer earlier this month, was “going to be OK and he’s doing well. Sending so much love to them,” she added.
After handing over to Vernon Kay, Zoe was photographed leaving the Radio 2 building in her car. The presenter beamed and had a huge smile on her face as she was spotted making a swift exit.
The broadcaster has not been on the The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show since she briefly returned to hosting on August 8, following a summer break. Then on August 12 Radio 2 listeners got a shock when they were greeted by a different voice as Zoe took another leave of absence.
Stand-in Scott Mills sparked concern when he revealed usual host Zoe would be away ‘for weeks’ and said the team were ‘sending her all their love.’
Scott told listeners: “Good Morning. You weren’t expecting me were you? Welcome to Monday. It’s Scott Mills. If you set your alarm every morning to go off at 6.30 and normally Zoe comes on please do not freak out. You have not overslept. I’m here doing the Breakfast Show do not panic. It’s early. You aren’t late for work. It’s Monday 12th August,” said Scott.
Following the news bulletin at 8am, Scott addressed the switch-up again as he told listeners: “If you’ve just put us on this morning, it’s Scott Mills in for Zoe for the next few weeks. I’m sending you all my love Zo’ as are the team.”
Zoe also pulled out of her show the Friday before, seemingly at the 11th hour – after saying she would be at the helm on her social media the night before, telling her followers “See you at dawn'”
The BBC later confirmed to the Mirror that Zoe would not return until September. In a statement they said: “Zoe is taking time off and will return in September.”
Zoe’s son Woody spoke out about her absence from the radio last week and said he had to ‘step up’. The 23-year-old said: “My mum and I like to keep our private lives to ourselves but I will say I have stepped up and spent a lot more time with her recently as she has always been there when I’ve had tough times. I’m glad to see her smiling.”
Over the weekend it was reported that Zoe has recently sold her £2million country pile and moved closer to her ex Norman Cook aka Fatboy Slim. It is believed she moved to a townhouse between Brighton and Hove, near her DJ ex Norman – the father of her two children – from whom she separated in 2016 and divorced in 2020. Zoe is said to have sought out a “new start” after splitting from her partner Michael Reed last year after more than five years together.
It’s been a tumultuous year for Zoe, who announced in early March that her mother had been diagnosed with cancer and was being “incredibly brave”. It was confirmed that Gaby Roslin would “occasionally” replace her on The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show so she could spend time with her mother who was later taken to a hospice. Just 12 weeks later Zoe announced that her mum had sadly died.
“Sleep tight dear Mama,” Ball said, announcing the death on social media, sharing a younger picture of her mother, as she annoinced the news to her followers. “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.”
Ball had previously described the cancer diagnosis as an “extremely tough” time.
Ball, 53, took over the Radio 2 morning programme in 2019 from Chris Evans.
She was the first female host of the Radio 1 Breakfast Show in 1998, a post she held until 2000.
She also co-hosted the BBC’s Saturday morning children’s magazine Live & Kicking alongside Jamie Theakston for three years from 1996.
Ball has presented the BBC spin-off show Strictly Come Dancing : It Takes Two, and ITV ’s reality competition show Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream.
