Zoe Ball has confirmed for the first time that she has a new boyfriend, after previously referring to him as her 'lodger'. The 55-year-old former BBC Radio 2 presenter split from her last public boyfriend, construction worker Michael Reed, in 2023 and has kept her love life private since. In a new interview with The Sunday Times Style Magazine, she revealed that the man living with her in her Sussex home is indeed her partner, though she prefers not to name him.
Ball also spoke warmly about her relationship with her ex-husband, musician Norman Cook, known as Fatboy Slim, with whom she shares two children: Woody, 25, and Nelly, 16. 'I love that he is still out there, playing to the masses,' she said. 'We’ve been really lucky with our relationship. When he has wanted to do things, I’ve been able to say, “I’ll be here for that bit.”' The couple divorced a decade ago after 18 years of marriage.
On her Dig It podcast with Jo Whiley, Ball has previously hinted at her romance, saying she loves 'smelling their armpits' as a sign of affection. She explained, 'If you love someone, you've got to love all their smells... there's something about armpit smells that I think are really sexy.'
Ball also reflected on the suicide of her former partner, cameraman Billy Yates, in 2017, saying his death gave her a different perspective on life. 'There is the grief-on-grief of other losses. It’s really made me look back and think, right, what’s important here?' she told the magazine.
Ball stepped down from her BBC Radio 2 show in December 2024, citing a desire to focus on family and escape early mornings. Her mother Julia died in April 2024, adding to a series of personal challenges.
