ZOE Ball has sold her stunning £2million countryside pile and moved closer to her ex Fatboy Slim amid her disappearance from her BBC Radio 2 show.
A source has revealed the DJ, 53, has traded in life in her rural Sussex pad – complete with a swimming pool and tennis courts – for the more “lively” surroundings of Brighton and Hove.
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Zoe – whose return date to the BBC Breakfast Show has been revealed following her “disappearance” – 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’s eager for a fresh start.
Zoe called time on her relationship with the model in May 2023 after five and a half years together – with pals at the time saying they had “run their course.”
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.
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.”
It came after it was revealed how Zoe is scheduled to be back on the airwaves on September 23rd – with the Maximum Music Monday show – with her son Woody also breaking his silence on her whereabouts.
The listing reads: “Wake up and embrace the day with Zoe Ball and the team. Zoe keeps the tunes rolling on Maximum Music Monday.”
It remains to be seen if she will return next week.
Meanwhile, Woody spoke out about his parent and told Mail Online: “My mum and I like to keep our private lives to ourselves but I will say I have stepped up and spent a lot more time with her recently as she has always been there when I’ve had tough times.
“I’m glad to see her smiling.”
Recently, an industry insider broke their silence on her disappearance from the Breakfast Show.
They claimed “no one knows whats going on” at Radio 2.
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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.
Earlier this month, the BBC released a statement on the broadcaster’s future after she “vanished” from her early-morning presenting slot.
Zoe last appeared on her Breakfast Show on August 8 after a lengthy on-air absence.
She was replaced in-part by former BBC Radio 1 anchor Scott Mills, 51, who promised she would be back “in a few weeks.”
Yet a month after his comments, a fresh wave of concern has been sparked.
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