ZOE Ball left her BBC Radio 2 Breakfast show listeners gutted after she revealed she was quitting next month.
The much-loved broadcaster, 53, told how December 20 would be her last early-morning programme after six years as she chose to “focus on family.”
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Her replacement – current BBC Radio 2 and former BBC Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills, 51 – was then revealed on Tuesday’s action-packed show.
Yet for Zoe‘s legions of loyal fans, they reckon three key clues could have signalled her show exit months ago.
MYSTERY ABSENCE
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Earlier this year, the mum of one was mysteriously absent from her Breakfast Show – with Scott then stepping in in an ad hoc role.
The star “went missing” for six weeks from August sparking fan concern as to her whereabouts – before she returned in September 23.
At the time, an industry insider broke their silence on her disappearance from the Breakfast Show.
They claimed “no one knows what’s going on” at Radio 2 as they addressed the lengthy on air absence.
In a rare move, the BBC then released a statement on the broadcaster’s future to clear things up.
UPPING STICKS
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Off-air, Zoe has also been making huge changes.
In September it was revealed how the DJ had traded in life in her £2million Sussex mansion to move near to her ex Fatboy Slim in Brighton and Hove.
She has left her incredible home complete with a pool, huge garden and tennis court.
Zoe is now said to be hunkered down in a townhouse.
She previously shared images of her six-bed Sussex home, built by Russian aristocrat, Baron Vladimir de Wolff in the 1920s, and surrounded by acres of land.
The fan-favourite broadcaster previously lived there with her ex Michael Reed yet it appears she was eager for a fresh start.
A source has now told MailOnline how Zoe had moved near to ex hubby and father to her two kids Fatboy Slim, real name Norman Cook, who she divorced in 2020.
Zoe Ball’s career so far
Zoe was born in Blackpool and is daughter of the children’s TV presenter Johnny Ball and his wife Julia.
She appeared on television at a young age as part of the studio audience of the Saturday morning children’s show, Saturday Superstore when her father was a guest.
The star began her career in broadcasting as a presenter on the pre-school programme Playdays.
After various behind the scenes roles, she earned a spot as a regular host of Top of the Pops, when she alternated with the likes of Jayne Middlemiss and Jo Whiley.
In 1996, she was chosen to front BBC One‘s saturday morning show Live & Kicking, which led to stints on The Big Breakfast on Channel 4.
But she maintained a huge presence on the radio as she was chosen to be the co-host of BBC Radio 1 Breakfast alongside Kevin Greening in October 1997.
Zoe was later appointed the sole host of the show in a groundbreaking move by the corporation as she was the first female DJ to hold the post.
The presenter chose to leave the station in March 2000 to start a family, where she was succeeded by Sara Cox.
As a mainstream face in TV through the noughties, she hosted a range of huge programmes for ITV, including the Brit Awards in 2002, Extinct in 2006, and both Soapstar Superstar and Grease Is The Word in 2007.
In mid-2002, she returned to radio when she joined Xfm (later known as Radio X), when she was the voice of the weekday drivetime show until December 2003. In 2004, she stood in for Ricky Gervais while he filmed the second series of The Office.
In October 2005, she appeared as a contestant on the third series of Strictly Come Dancing, where she was partnered with Ian Waite, The star impressed viewers with her footwork and the duo waltzed into third place.
In 2011, she returned to the franchise as she took over as the host of the magazine spin-off show, It Takes Two.
She also filled in for Claudia Winkleman on the main show in 2014, when The Traitors star took leave after her daughter suffered serious burn injuries.
After 10 years fronting the show, Zoe announced she was quitting her role on BBC Two in May 2021.
Zoe’s journey in BBC Radio 2 started in 2006 when she fronted specialist documentaries. Over the years she sat in for names such as Dermot O’Leary, Ken Bruce and Chris Evans.
After several shake-ups, she returned to the station on a permanent basis when she took over Dermot’s Saturday afternoon slot between 3pm and 6pm.
In October 2018, Chris Evans moved to Virgin Radio and he personally announced that Zoe would take over his popular slot. She started presenting the breakfast show on 14 January 2019.
They told the publication how the re-location – thought to have happened in August – was a “fresh start” and added: “Zoe obviously got fed up with life in the country and wanted to move to somewhere a bit more lively.
“She has become really engrossed in making her house just as she wants it and has been happily ordering furniture and buying bits and bobs to make it perfect.”
SAD PASSING
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Zoe also took a leave of absence from her show in April following her mum’s tragic death.
Her parent Julia passed away from pancreatic cancer just 12 weeks after being diagnosed.
Zoe shared a tribute to her mum when she announced Julia’s passing on social media on April 24.
Posting on Twitter at 4.44am, Zoe said: “Sleep tight dear Mama.
“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.”
Zoe’s son Woody said at the time: “Today I say goodbye to Granny J, thank you for being a wonderful woman.
“The only person who always sent me a Valentine’s card.”
The presenter first revealed her mum’s illness in March and said Julie had been moved into a hospice.
At the time, she informed listeners she would be taking some days off to look after her mum.