{"id":656680,"date":"2025-12-26T22:23:17","date_gmt":"2025-12-26T22:23:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/656680\/"},"modified":"2025-12-26T22:23:17","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T22:23:17","slug":"zoe-ball-addresses-her-tough-year-despite-being-in-the-frame-for-strictly-job","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/656680\/","title":{"rendered":"Zoe Ball addresses her ‘tough year’ despite being ‘in the frame’ for Strictly job"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rumoured as a favourite to host Strictly, the family money is already on Zoe Ball says dad Johnny. But could the presenter – who has just left her radio show on BBC Radio 2 – be about to return to our TV screens?<\/p>\n

20:00, 26 Dec 2025Updated 20:01, 26 Dec 2025<\/p>\n

\"ZoeZoe Ball addresses ‘tough year’ despite being ‘in the frame’ for Strictly job.(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC\/Ray Burmiston)<\/p>\n

She’s stepped down from hosting her BBC Radio 2 Saturday show and is being replaced on the airwaves by Emma Willis, could 2026 be the year when Zoe Ball returns to telly?<\/p>\n

Coming third as a Strictly<\/a> contestant in 2005, she then hosted<\/a> the spin-off show It Takes Two from 2011 until 2021, giving her the perfect pedigree for the job according to dad Johnny<\/a>, who confirmed: \u201cShe\u2019s in the mix.\u201d<\/p>\n

Remaining tight-lipped about her prospects, Zoe is happier to disclose her inside track on motherhood<\/a> – as she reveals her role at her kids\u2019 recent birthday parties.<\/p>\n

Nelly turned 16, while Woody turned 25 earlier this month. And, deemed \u201ccool enough\u201d to go along early to Nell\u2019s 16th drinks, she says: \u201cI was allowed to pop in to the \u2018prinks\u2019 – the pre drinks. Nell deemed me important enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

Quite glad not to stay for the whole do, she says she could \u201cfeel Nell’s nerves.\u201d After checking everything was in place, she left, safe in the knowledge that she would be kept informed of any mishaps.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: ‘David Bowie wanted to make the album of his life before he died two days later’<\/a>\"ZoeZoe Ball\u2019s son Woody reveals famous mum\u2019s surprised reaction when he told her he was bisexual<\/p>\n

\u201cShe had a sign which read \u2018holy sh*t\u2026you\u2019re 16,\u2019\u201d laughs Zoe, confessing: \u201cI was sent updates, because my friends were all hiding upstairs. And then Woody arrived and he had to hide upstairs.\u201d As well as Nell\u2019s dad, Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim) taking a turn as DJ, Zoe says: \u201cHer boyfriend, Jacoby DJ-ed and Nell even played some tunes as well. It all wrapped up at 11.30pm and no one threw up. Hoorah!\u201d<\/p>\n

Zoe does say Woody was worse for wear, as he went clubbing afterwards. \u201cThe energy of that boy!\u201d she remarks. \u201cHe came in about 4.30am looking for antihistamines.\u201d But Zoe decided against cramping his style at his 25th. \u201cHe had a party where they’re all wearing suits and they’re going old school,\u201d she says. \u201cI was invited. I was like, \u2018No son, you go and enjoy yourself.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Now 55, age is clearly preying on Zoe\u2019s mind, as she opens up on the Dig It podcast, which she hosts with Jo Whiley. Speaking about her changing body at the menopause, Zoe, who earlier this month stepped down from her BBC<\/a> Radio 2 Saturday show, says: I think your shape changes slightly as you get older.<\/p>\n

\"ZoeZoe Ball has just finished presenting her radio show on BBC Radio 2(Image: Jonathan Buckmaster)<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s sort of around the boobage area, around your shoulders. Okay, and your arms. You sort of think, \u2018oh, have I really filled out?\u2019 The good thing is we have our girls, and they are always happy to receive our offcuts!\u201d<\/p>\n

Private about her personal life after high-profile splits from Norman Cook and, more recently in 2023 from carpenter Michael Reed, she is awestruck by celebrity power couples. She cites Fleabag writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Oscar winning playright and director Martin McDonagh. She says of Waller-Bridge: \u201cI saw her in the street with her fabulous partner, Martin McDonough. What a power couple they are, because he directed The Banshees of Inisherin.\u201d Pausing, she adds: \u201cSomething about amazing power couples.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a contemplative mood, as the year ends and she looks ahead to 2026, Zoe reflects on friends who have had difficulties this year. \u201cI know lots of my friends have had a really tough year this year. Lots of people worrying about money, people worrying about jobs,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m so grateful we\u2019re all there for each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"FinalistFinalist Woody Cook with his mother, Zoe Ball, following the live final of the second series of Channel 4’s The Circle, in Salford, Manchester.(Image: PA)<\/p>\n

And she wonders if she will ever develop the care free attitude rumoured to come with age – something she has been reading articles about. She ponders: \u201cAs you get older, do you become a bit more, f*ck it, do you stop worrying about things? I\u2019ve been thinking about it. I don’t know if that’s true, because you might care less about some of the daft stuff that you used to worry about. But, actually, there’s loads of other stuff to worry about.\u201d<\/p>\n

Citing the fact \u201cyou never stop worrying about your kids\u201d as an example, she adds: \u201cI guess, as you come through menopause, I’m hoping there’s a bit the other side where you’re like, \u2018ah, f*ck it. I don’t care.\u2019 But there is always still so much to worry about. I’m looking forward to that f*ck it era. Will it come in my 80s?<\/p>\n

\u201cLife is a bit like Indiana Jones sometimes, isn’t it? Like when the massive ball is running down the hill, you’re like, \u2018for f*ck’s sake\u2019 just trying to deal with this.\u201d<\/p>\n

READ MORE: Ninja soup maker that makes \u2018easy and delicious\u2019 winter meals has been slashed by \u00a350<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Rumoured as a favourite to host Strictly, the family money is already on Zoe Ball says dad Johnny.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":656681,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3940],"tags":[4080,77,200835,200834,1888,16,15,84455],"class_list":{"0":"post-656680","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-celebrities","8":"tag-celebrities","9":"tag-entertainment","10":"tag-johnny-ball","11":"tag-norman-cook","12":"tag-strictly-come-dancing","13":"tag-uk","14":"tag-united-kingdom","15":"tag-zoe-ball"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115788213558989200","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/656680","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=656680"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/656680\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/656681"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=656680"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=656680"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=656680"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}