BBC presenter Zoe Ball was overcome with emotion during a recent podcast episode after hearing a listener's poignant account of her mother's peaceful passing.
Listener's story triggers raw emotion
On the latest instalment of Dig It, the podcast she co-hosts with fellow broadcaster Jo Whiley, a woman named Di shared her experience. Di explained that her 90-year-old mother had chosen to spend last Christmas in her own home, feeling too tired to travel.
"I think the tiredness was all a sign that her body had started to fail her," Di told the hosts. The listener then revealed that on New Year's Eve, her mother went into her beloved garden to feed the birds and "just slipped away."
"Her garden was her pride and joy," Di added. "She loved all the wildlife that entered it, so it really was, for her, the perfect Christmas and the perfect death."
Ball's personal reflection on loss
The story visibly moved both presenters. Footage from the recording shows the 55-year-old former Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two host reaching for tissues as she wiped away tears, while Jo Whiley also struggled to contain her feelings.
In a voice trembling with emotion, Zoe Ball responded directly to the listener. "Oh Di, what a gorgeous message," she said, continuing to sob. "Your mum sounds like an amazing lady."
The conversation then turned to Ball's own wishes for her eventual passing. She revealed she has already spoken to her children about her desires, albeit in a more light-hearted manner.
"I joke with my kids about having a comedy death," she shared. "I'm like, 'Can I have a comedy death?' So it won't be sad, like a piano falls on my head and everyone's like, 'That's the way she wanted to go'."
Connecting through shared grief
Returning to Di's narrative, Ball reflected on its beauty. "What a beautiful story that she was out feeding the birds, that's so lovely," she said. "And Di, those memories are wonderful aren't they."
Ball's reaction is deeply informed by her own recent bereavement. Her mother, Julia Peckham, died in April 2024 following a battle with pancreatic cancer. Ball took an extended break from her BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show following the loss.
She has spoken openly about the profound impact of her grief. On a previous podcast episode, she confessed: "I had to stop working, I was on the floor in the kitchen, I couldn't move. I had a proper emotional breakdown, I haven't talked about it very much but it was brutal."
Concluding her thoughts to Di, Ball connected with the enduring nature of loss. "Those memories of them and hearing you say how much you miss her five years later, yeah, I'm with you there, totally," she said. "We miss our lost loves don't we. Thank goodness for having them in our lives and everything they bring into our lives."
