Zoe Ball rings in her daughter Nelly’s sweet 16th birthday as she shares a series of adorable throwbacks with ex-husband Norman Cook

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Zoe Ball celebrated her daughter Nelly’s sixteenth birthday on Thursday by sharing heartwarming old photos, including some featuring Nelly’s father, her ex-husband Norman Cook.

The radio host, age 55, and DJ Fat Boy Slim, 62, separated in 2016 after 18 years together, but they’ve stayed good friends and continue to co-parent their two children, Woody, 25, and Nelly.

Zoe celebrated Nelly’s sixteenth birthday by posting a collection of photos on Instagram, captioning it with ‘Happy Sweet 16 BG ♥️ love you Nelly Noodle.’

The photos featured a young Nelly at the beach in her hometown of Brighton with her father, along with other heartwarming family pictures.

Sharing his own tribute, her brother Woody posted a carousel of photos of them both together. 

He captioned his update: ‘Happy Birthday to my Favourite Sister I’ll ever have!!!!!!!’ 

Zoe and Norman got together over the holidays and playfully described themselves as a cheerfully chaotic family while celebrating Christmas with their kids.

During the holidays, the radio host had dinner with her family and shared a photo on Instagram.

The ex-couple were together with their children, Woody and Nelly, and Woody’s girlfriend, Ruby Prunstuke.

She penned in the caption: ‘putting the funk into Dysfuntional family fun. Christmas No 2.’

I just loved Zoe’s outfit – that navy Christmas jumper was so chic! And she clearly had the best time, being surrounded by all the people she loves. You could just see how happy she was!

Zoe recently shared her strong desire to be a grandmother, and even confessed she’d consider having more children if her age wasn’t a factor.

You know, as someone who follows family dynamics, I was so touched to hear the radio personality talk about wanting to expand her family! She shared how much she’s longing for the pitter-patter of little feet again, and honestly, it’s sweet to hear her say she can’t wait to be a grandmother – she just misses having babies around!

On their Dig It podcast, Jo Whiley and a friend chatted about their favorite smells, and both agreed that the scent of a newborn baby’s head is the best.

Zoe expressed her sadness about not being able to cuddle a grandchild anytime soon, as she didn’t expect either of her children to have kids in the near future.

Jo was immediately captivated by the newborn, exclaiming how much she loved the feel and smell of the baby’s small head. She declared it was her favorite thing in the world.

Zoe quickly agreed, adding, ‘You know, I think if we were younger, we’d both want to have more children, wouldn’t we?’

She then lamented: ‘Oh gosh, I’m going to have to have such a long wait for grandchildren. 

‘Can I borrow someone’s baby? Can I borrow someone’s baby please? I miss it.’

Zoe and Norman’s oldest son, Woody, is also becoming a musician, but he’s keen to emphasize that he’s built his career through hard work, not because of his parents’ influence.

He recently shared with new! magazine that he initially felt a lot of pressure, but his parents helped him by encouraging his independence and allowing him to figure things out on his own.

Woody acknowledged the label ‘nepo baby’ but said it doesn’t bother him. He believes his success is due to his parents’ encouragement, not their careers.

You know, people often ask me about who I am and what shaped me. And honestly, I wouldn’t be where I am today without my parents. They really prioritized my education, and I’m so grateful for everything they gave me. It’s impossible to imagine my life without their influence – they truly made me who I am.

These are the kindest, most loving, and hardest-working people I know, and they’ve given me everything. I feel incredibly grateful to them and like I wouldn’t be where I am today without their support.

He’d previously said he doesn’t worry about what others think of him or his family, telling Bang Showbiz that he was bullied in school and even at parties, where people would sometimes make hurtful comments about his father.

Having a public profile has created a lot of opportunities, and people tend to remember me. I have a diverse range of interests and wouldn’t describe myself as conventional. Of course, I inherited traits from my mother and father, as everyone does.

Ultimately, I’ll probably always share some traits with my family. While we have some genetic similarities, it’s not my responsibility to worry about it.

Look, I live for my fans, seriously. They adore my music, and it’s incredible to see. I don’t even need to explain why it’s good – the songs just are. I don’t feel like I owe anyone a justification, you know? It speaks for itself, and that’s all that matters to me.

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2026-01-15 14:19