Zoe Ball has delved into her family history on the BBC's Who Do You Think You Are?, revealing details about her estrangement from her mother Julia, who passed away in April 2024 after a cancer diagnosis. The radio host, born in Blackpool in 1970, was raised by her father, children's television presenter Johnny Ball, and stepmother Di after her parents divorced when she was two.
During Tuesday's episode, Ball discussed her grandmother Margaret, known as Peg, who spent time in a mental health institution. 'I don't remember ever meeting my mum's mum,' she said. 'For a time, she was in what would have been called an asylum in those days, because she struggled with her mental health.'
Ball spoke about her difficult relationship with her mother, revealing they did not see each other for 14 years. 'It was pretty tough, I didn't see my mum for 14 years, which is a long time for a kid not to see her mum,' she said. They reconnected when Ball was 18, after she received an invitation to Julia's 40th birthday party. 'I could hardly breathe. I felt faint but somehow managed to hold myself together,' she recalled.
Ball is mother to two children, Woody and Nelly, with former husband Fatboy Slim. She said her children are curious about their ancestry, joking they want to know if there is 'any Viking, any pirate'. She also expressed a desire to be present for her daughter Nelly, 15, before she grows up.
Reflecting on her mother's death, Ball said: 'We lost my mum last year, and it really made me step back and look at the bigger picture.' She added that her mother was excited about the family history research, saying: 'I'm really sad she's not here to learn these things, but wherever she is, she's here with me in my heart.'
