Zoe Ball has opened up about her recent mental health struggles as she admitted she has been feeling ‘forlorn’ and suffering from social anxiety.
The radio presenter, 54, revealed that she has found some comfort in planting a memorial garden for her late mother and ex-partner Billy Yates at her home, after revealing she struggled with the loss of her mum Julia Peckham last year.
Zoe, who left her BBC Radio 2 gig in December, spoke candidly about her struggles with not wanting to socialise and empty nest syndrome during an appearance on her new podcast Dig It with Jo Whiley.
Revealing she loves when her children – Woody and Nellie – spend time at home because they spend a lot of time in Brighton where their dad lives, she said: ‘I do fill the fridge. But I am like “Can you come and get your bloody smoked salmon, Woody.
‘Because they go straight there, because he’s on the beach. So I’ve been feeling a little bit forlorn recently. I really miss my kids.’
Zoe has had a tough year following the death of her mother, who passed away in 2024 following a cancer diagnosis.
Zoe Ball has opened up about her recent mental health struggles as she admitted she has been feeling ‘forlorn’ and suffering from social anxiety
Revealing she loves when her children – Woody and Nellie – spend time at home because they spend a lot of time in Brighton where their dad lives, she said: ‘I do fill the fridge. But I am like “Can you come and get your bloody smoked salmon, Woody
As a way of remember her mother and other loved ones, Zoe revealed she planted roses in her garden as a way of honouring them.
She said: ‘The red roses that I have planted for Billy, for my mum in the garden have all gone crazy just this last couple of weeks and it makes me so happy to see them because all the flowers in my garden are for different people.’
Elsewhere in the interview, discussing her struggle with social anxiety, Zoe said: ‘I have really bad social anxiety. My brother has it too.
‘And so whenever there’s an event coming up, be it Glastonbury or a wedding or a party, I’m always slightly in the back of my head trying to think of an excuse of not being able to go, which my old job was a great excuse, and I used it for years.
‘And now I don’t have that job anymore. I can’t use it as an excuse. Oh I’ve got to have an early night. I am really bad at small talk. It makes my skin crawl. I have had to reverse myself out of conversations when I have said something so weird.
‘So it’s people’s little kids. I’m like, yep, great, I’ll go look off to the little kids, because then I don’t have to talk to adults.
‘I am like “Let me go and sort the ice out. Let me lay out the salads. Give me something to do.”
But Zoe did admit she never called her parents often when she was young.
Zoe spoke candidly about her struggles with not wanting to socialise and empty nest syndrome during an appearance on her new podcast Dig It with Jo Whiley (pictured)
As a way of remember her mother and other loved ones, Zoe revealed she planted roses in her garden as a way of honouring them
She said: ‘I have I often say to my dad and my lovely step-mum, I am so sorry. I am so sorry that I disappeared on you, because I did that. I had never phoned home. I had never come back. It would just be like three times a year. Now I really feel it as a mum.
‘I am like, can you just check it? Woody is actually quite good. I know the time to text him.
‘It has to be after 1pm, never up before then. Then there is a key moment, probably about nine, ten, eleven o’clock at night, he will always respond immediately.’
One reason Zoe does have to smile is her new mystery man, who trikes a remarkable resemblance to ex husband Norman Cook.
Zoe was spotted strolling hand-in-hand with him while enjoying the music at Glastonbury on Friday.
In snaps obtained by The Sun, Zoe cut a casual figure in a black ensemble while shielding her eyes behind shades.
Her companion, who was tall and boasted salt and pepper hair just like Fatboy Slim, 61, held her hand as they made their way through Worthy Farm’s VIP area.
An onlooker told the publication: ‘Zoe is down at Glastonbury as a punter and has brought her new boyfriend along for the ride, they seemed blissfully happy and were strolling along holding hands.’
‘People were doing double takes at her bloke though because he looks a lot like Fatboy. It’s so great to see Zoe smiling again,’ they added.
Zoe was spotted looking ‘blissfully happy’ with a man who strikes a remarkable resemblance to ex husband Norman Cook (stock image)
She was spotted strolling hand-in-hand with the mystery man while enjoying the music at Glastonbury on Friday (pictured with Norman in 2001)
MailOnline have contacted Zoe’s reps for comment.
Zoe and Norman, who share son Woody, 24, and daughter Nelly, 14, announced their split in 2016 after 17 years together, before finalising their divorce in 2020.
Zoe continues to have a close relationship with Norman and is thought to have sold her £2million country home in Sussex to move to a townhouse between Brighton and Hove, close to where he lives.
Both Zoe and Norman are now teetotal having admitted issues with alcohol and both had stints in rehab.
Norman previously credited his former wife for keeping him down to earth when he was at the height of his fame.
He told the Changes podcast: ‘One thing I did have to keep a lid on during that crazy time was my ego.
‘While you’ve got licence to break rules, you’ve always got a lot of people who’ll let you get away with murder.
‘Zoe was really good for me for that, because she knew the fame game and we would sort of check each other.
Her companion, who was tall and boasted salt and pepper hair just like Fatboy Slim, 61, held her hand as they made their way through Worthy Farm’s VIP area (Norman pictured 2021)
The former couple are pictured happily on their wedding day in 1999 at Babington House in Somerset
Zoe and Norman, who share son Woody, 24, and daughter Nelly, 14, announced their split in 2016 after 17 years together, before finalising their divorce in 2020
‘If I wasn’t respectful to people, she’d go: ”Oi, come on, that’s not how we behave! Go back and thank them for that”.
‘We were both quite good at keeping each other’s feet on the ground. Because it’s hard when everyone’s saying: ‘Here, have this, take this, drink this, you’re brilliant.’
‘It’s hard to keep some kind of limit and say: ‘I am actually a human being, not a superstar.’ I think we probably saved each other a lot of bother.’
In 2016, Norman said he was still mending his ‘wounded heart’ more than two years after his break-up with Zoe.
At the time, Zoe had moved on with boyfriend Michael Reed and the DJ at the time ruled out dating as his ‘heart’s not ready’ to find love again.
‘I’m single, I’m definitely not on Tinder,’ he told the Daily Star at the time.
‘It’s been 18 years since I was in this situation, I’ve forgotten what the rules are. My heart’s not ready. My heart is still wounded to be honest.’
Norman and Zoe began their romance in 1997 after they met in Ibiza and they married two years later at Babington House in Somerset.
They split briefly in 2003 when it emerged she had an affair with a close friend of her husband’s DJ Dan Peppe.
Following the revelation, Norman said he still loved Zoe and would take her back, as long as she promised never to see Peppe again.
The Praise You hitmaker confessed at the time: ‘I still love her. If you love someone you’ll forgive them.
‘I’ve spoken to her today and she is genuinely remorseful.’
Both Zoe and Norman are now teetotal having admitted issues with alcohol and both had stints in rehab
Following the breakdown of her marriage to Fatboy Slim, Zoe found love again with her partner Billy Yates, who took his own life in May 2017 (Zoe and Billy pictured together)
She dated former construction worker Michael Reed but friends said their relationship broke down after more than five years in May 2023 after Michael allegedly became ‘a bit demanding’. (pictured in 2021)
In September 2016 they announced their separation for good, nine months after Zoe was seen embracing Franklin Lake singer Tay Tay Starhz, 22, at the December 2015 festive wrap party for Strictly Come Dancing’s BBC2 spin-off show It Takes Two.
In a joint statement, the pair wrote: ‘With great sadness we are announcing that we have separated.’
Following the breakdown of her marriage to Fatboy Slim, Zoe found love again with her partner Billy Yates, who took his own life in May 2017.
After a long battle with depression, Billy, 40, took his own life in May 2017 at his home in Putney, London.
The Radio 2 presenter previously told how she felt ‘really grateful’ he had said goodbye to her the last time she saw him.
