Zoe Ball reunites with ex Norman Cook after sensationally quitting her BBC Radio 2 show as they celebrate their daughter Nell’s 16th birthday

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Zoe Ball and her ex-husband, Norman Cook, came together on Saturday to celebrate their daughter Nell turning sixteen, shortly after Zoe surprised listeners by announcing her departure from her BBC Radio 2 show.

The 55-year-old DJ came back to the station in May after leaving the popular Breakfast Show last year. However, she announced on Saturday that she’s leaving her Saturday afternoon show after only seven months.

After the news was released, Zoe shared on Instagram that she was celebrating her daughter’s birthday. She posted a video of the party decorations and some photos taken behind the DJ booth.

Oh my gosh, I was totally scrolling and saw the most adorable things! First, a picture of Zoe’s ex, Fatboy Slim – seriously, can we call him Norman? – wearing a shirt covered in pictures of their daughter when she was little. It was so sweet! And then Zoe posted a photo of her son Woody, who’s 24 now, with his little sister! They’re just the cutest family, honestly. I can’t stop looking!

The room was decorated with personalized balloons and a banner that playfully exclaimed, ‘Holy cow, you’re 16!’

Zoe and Norman were together for 18 years, but they had a difficult patch in their relationship. They briefly separated in 2003 when Zoe had a brief affair with DJ Dan Peppe, before ultimately splitting for good in 2016.

Last year, Zoe’s dad, Johnny Ball, revealed that he and Zoe have a stronger relationship now than they did during their marriage.

He shared with Boom Radio that despite being divorced, they’ve maintained a strong and positive friendship, and are actually closer now than before.

They seem much happier together now than they were when they first got married, and that’s wonderful to see. It really is a beautiful thing.

Zoe revealed on Saturday that she’s leaving her BBC Radio 2 weekend show after only seven months, and her last program will be broadcast very soon.

Emma Willis, age 49, will take over from the DJ, who came back to the station in May after previously leaving the popular Breakfast Show last year.

Zoe announced that her regular Saturday show will end on December 20th, but she’ll still be on Radio 2, hosting occasional special programs.

Emma announced to the audience that she was, in fact, Emma, and shared how much she’d enjoyed working with Romesh and Rylan. She reassured everyone she wasn’t leaving for good, saying she loved them all very much.

We’ve got Christmas Crooners coming up, and I’m excited to announce I’ll be doing an Eras show in the New Year – I’ll share more details about that soon! I’m also delighted to say you’ll be in great hands, as a familiar face is officially joining the Radio 2 team.

Zoe shared that she’s really enjoyed hosting her Saturday lunch show on Radio 2, especially the fun she had with the listeners, the interesting stories she heard, and her playful banter with co-hosts Romesh and Rylan.

I’m thrilled that Emma is taking over! She’s incredibly positive and will bring lots of fun and great music to your Saturdays.

Emma shared her excitement about joining Radio 2, saying she’s thrilled to become part of the team. She also expressed her admiration for Zoe, whose legacy she feels honored to continue.

I’m genuinely thrilled to be joining the Radio 2 listeners every Saturday at lunchtime! Honestly, I’m more than happy to play my part alongside Romesh and Rylan – I’d happily be the ‘filling’ in their fantastic duo, if you know what I mean! It’s going to be a lot of fun.

The BBC confirmed the news on Instagram and also promoted Zoe’s first show with the station.

I’m so thrilled to hear Zoe’s staying with the station! She’s fantastic at hosting those special programs, and I’m especially excited about her new project. It’s a fresh series of ‘Eras,’ the award-winning podcast, and this time it’s all about the incredible life and career of Phil Collins. I can’t wait to listen!

I’ve always loved Emma on TV – she’s brilliant hosting shows like The Voice and the UK version of Love Is Blind, especially alongside her husband, Matt Willis from Busted! It’s great to see she’s already familiar with Radio 2, having filled in on shows before. She’s a natural!

Zoe left her job hosting BBC Radio 2’s breakfast show in December, choosing to prioritize her family. Scott Mills took over the role, and Zoe’s departure meant giving up a salary of £950,000.

She left after taking time off earlier in the year to grieve the loss of her mother, Julia, who passed away from pancreatic cancer in April 2024.

Zoe shared, with tears in her eyes, that she had a very difficult time after her mother passed away. The grief was overwhelming, and she had to take a leave of absence from work to cope.

On her podcast, ‘Dig It,’ Zoe described being completely unable to function, explaining she was paralyzed with distress and collapsed in the kitchen.

I went through a really tough emotional time, and I haven’t spoken about it much. It was incredibly difficult.

My doctor was incredible. He went above and beyond, even bringing me coffee and bagels, and gently let me know it was time to seek some support. He was truly a wonderful person.

Announcing her mother’s death on social media, Zoe wrote: ‘Sleep tight dear Mama.

Thank you for showing us how to love without limits, be brave and understanding, and for reminding us that laughter can brighten even the hardest times. We miss you deeply, but we’ll lean on each other to get through this.

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2025-12-14 12:49