Zoe Ball has revealed that she sees her 16-year-old daughter Nelly “less and less” as the teenager has chosen to spend more time living with her father, Fatboy Slim. The radio presenter, who was widely considered a frontrunner to become one of the new hosts of Strictly Come Dancing before missing out on the role, discussed the evolving family dynamics during a recent podcast appearance.
Family Life Changes
Ball, who also shares 25-year-old son Woody with the “Praise You” DJ, compared households with co-host Jo Whiley on their podcast Dig It. While Whiley described her home as bustling with activity, Ball revealed that her own living situation has become notably quiet.
“Mine’s so quiet, it’s like ugh!” Ball exclaimed. “It’s less and less because Nel is based more at her dad’s now. I think she’s got to that point of, ‘Ah, can I just be in one place?’.”
Ball added that her daughter’s revision notes are now plastered over the walls of her father’s home. “It’s just nice not having to move from house to house, so she’s just spending more time there now,” she said. The presenter confirmed that the arrangement hasn’t significantly strained their relationship, as her ex-husband lives nearby.
“It’s only around the corner and I can nip round at any time, which is great, and she can come here if she gets upset about anything like, ‘Mum, I need you’, but it’s less and less.”
Strictly Come Dancing Rejection
Ball and Cook married in 1999 and announced their separation in 2018. Despite their split, both maintain homes close to one another in Brighton. Ball has recently been in the spotlight after revealing she was turned down for the Strictly Come Dancing presenting role, following the departures of Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly.
She disclosed that she had screen-tested for the position alongside comedian Josh Widdicombe, but only Widdicombe secured the gig. He will present the new series alongside Emma Willis and professional dancer Johannes Radebe.
“[Josh] is going to be so good,” Ball said on her podcast. “Emma is just gorgeous and I love Johannes, so they are going to ace it.” She added: “I didn’t get [the job], but it’s OK. I have worked through the seven stages of grief and rejection over the last couple of days. I was so chuffed to even be in the mix. There were some pretty amazing people who didn’t even make it into the mix.”
