DJ Zoe Ball departed BBC Radio 2 in December after six years of hosting the Breakfast Show and her son Woody has now given fans an insight into her life away from the microphone
Zoe Ball has ditched the glitz and glam of showbiz for a quieter life, swapping her microphone for a spot ‘working in a local cafe’ and embracing a more laid-back lifestyle.
The radio legend, 54, hung up her headphones on her BBC Radio 2 breakfast show last December to put family first, waving goodbye to her hefty £950,000 salary.
Her son Woody, 24, spilled the beans that his celeb mum has been keeping busy with ‘lots of puzzles’ and rediscovering her green fingers since leaving the BBC.
Woody found it quite the ‘funny’ seeing his ‘crazy party’ folks Zoe and Norman Cook, better known as Fatboy Slim, trading their raving shoes for gardening gloves and wholesome home life.
“In the last five years, it’s been funny watching my parents take up gardening both of them,” he told the Mail.
He then let slip that his once wild parents are now serving up brews in their local cafe. Woody continued: “These crazy party people I grew up with are now gardening, making puzzles and working in the local café.
“It’s very funny to see that transitional period, just as I’m kind of leaving the nest and now at the start of something big for me in music.”
On the topic of Zoe’s exit from Radio 2, Woody couldn’t hide his joy, chuffed to bits about having more quality time with his mum, reports the Mirror.
He said: “It’s lovely seeing my mum more, because obviously she’s had quite a weird schedule for the last few years.”
Zoe decided to hang up her early-morning headphones, announcing she’s leaving BBC Radio 2’s Breakfast Show just months after taking a hiatus due to her mother’s passing. During Zoe’s summer break, radio DJs Scott Mills and Gabby Roslin stepped in, with Scott now officially replacing her in the top spot.
Zoe shared her sentiment on moving on after a six-year stint: “Ok you lovely bunch, I have some news. After six years of fun times alongside you all on the Breakfast Show, I’ve decided it’s time to step away from the early alarm call and start a new chapter.
“You know I think the world of you all listeners, and it truly has been such a privilege to share the mornings with you, to go through life’s little ups and downs, we got through the lockdown together, didn’t we?
“We’ve shared a hell of a lot, the good times, the tough times, there’s been a lot of laughter. And I am going to miss you cats. I’m going to miss my amazing Prod Squad who I adore.
“Already missing Mike, I’m going to miss Tina and Richie. They’ve all become like family to me, like you lot. But I won’t miss the 4am alarm call, if I’m completely honest. So my last Breakfast show will be with you on the 20th of December and then its high kicks all the way to Christmas, gang.
“I’m not going to be a stranger, I’m staying in the Radio 2 crew and family because it’s an amazing family – as we saw last week with Paddy’s fantastic Children in Need challenge- and I’ll have more news on that in the New Year.
“I just want to say I’m so grateful to my incredible boss ladies, to Helen and Laura and Lorna and Fiona, they have always been so supportive of me especially in this job and particularly this year, so thank you ladies.
“Now of course it leaves us with a big question, who is going to wake you up in the mornings? Well the good news is you don’t have to wait very long to find out. I am going to reveal the brand new host of the Radio 2 Breakfast Show on this show this morning . But for now, know I love you all to bits and this song from Supertramp seemed like a good one to play.”
Zoe 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 and Kicking alongside Jamie Theakston for three years from 1996.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
