Zoe Ball has revealed that at the start of her television career, she felt pressured to wear 'tiny' and 'uncomfortable' clothes during photoshoots. The 54-year-old broadcaster, who began her career on the pre-school programme Playdays, said that saying no to such requests 'wasn't an option' at the time.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, Ball recalled being told to 'straddle a chair' and faced racks of skimpy outfits. She explained that she was conditioned to accept the situation and only later realised how much she endured. She credited Sophie Ellis-Bextor's memoir for making her reflect on her own experiences, as well as those of fellow broadcaster Sara Cox.
Ball stepped down from her long-running BBC Radio 2 breakfast show last November to focus on her family, following the death of her mother. She now co-hosts the podcast Dig It with Jo Whiley. Despite the negative memories, she also recalled a positive photoshoot with Bob Carlos Clarke, where she wore a lace-up catsuit and boots, calling the images 'great'.
In a separate discussion on her podcast, Ball opened up about 'mum guilt', describing the struggle of balancing a successful career with raising her two children, Woody and Nelly. She noted that while she and her former husband, DJ Fatboy Slim, relied on help from 'amazing women', she worried her children spent too much time away from their parents.
Ball and Fatboy Slim married in 1999 and divorced in 2016, but she has previously said they remain on good terms.
