Zoe Ball has admitted to questioning her decision to leave her £950,000 Radio 2 Breakfast Show last year, after sacrificing the role to spend more time with her children. The 54-year-old presenter, who stepped down in December 2024, told the Parenting Hell podcast that she now wonders if the move was worth it, as her 15-year-old daughter Nelly is rarely at home.
Ball announced her departure live on air in November 2024, citing a desire to 'start a new chapter' and focus on family after six years of early starts. She was replaced by Scott Mills. However, almost a year on, she confessed: 'I gave up work because she's going to do her GCSEs but she's never there. She's out with her mates. I'm like, "I've given up work for you".'
The mother of two, who shares Nelly and son Woody, 24, with ex-husband Norman Cook, acknowledged that part of her motivation was to support Nelly through her teenage years. 'For girls, 15 is booze and boys. It's a nightmare,' she said. Despite her doubts, Ball noted that she now enjoys doing the school run, even if her daughter is not always keen to talk.
Ball, who took over from Chris Evans in 2018, was the BBC's highest-paid female presenter in 2024, earning between £950,000 and £954,999. She has confirmed she will continue working with Radio 2 in some capacity after her exit.
