Zoe Ball has admitted she struggles with letting go of treasured memories, more than two years after the death of her mother, Julia Packham, from pancreatic cancer in 2024. The Greatest Hits Radio host, 55, spoke candidly about her bittersweet feelings on her Dig It podcast with Jo Whiley.
Zoe Ball Opens Up About Holding Onto Memories
Responding to a listener who said she found it hard to release cherished keepsakes, Ball revealed she could relate. 'I hang on to a lot of memories, I hang on to a lot of trinkets, tickets and music and things that remind of the past. It's actually been a conversation in our household this weekend,' she said.
She added: 'I've started to look at some things of mums thinking, "Oh gosh do I get rid of some of these things?" And should I get rid of some of my things so that my kids don't have to sort through them? I was talking to my friends going, "How much stuff do you keep from the past?"'
A 'Hopeless Romantic' Reflects on Loss
After hearing that many of her friends had chosen not to hold onto old possessions, Ball described herself as a 'hopeless romantic' who enjoys looking back. However, reflecting on the grief she has experienced, she admitted mixed feelings about what to keep and what to let go.
'I like looking back but the thing is, there's been a lot of sadness in my life in a certain era and a lot of loss,' she said. 'So there's great people I really miss in my life who I have lost over the years.'
Worry About the Future
Ball also revealed that the losses have made her think about the future. 'I do worry slightly about looking forward and thinking, "Oh gosh how much time are we going to get?"' she admitted. 'But you're going to get what you're going to get aren't you? There's a not a lot we can do about that, you've got to live in the moment, you've got to love life.'
She added that she has 'a lot of sorting to do' and plans to declutter her home. 'I think I did a huge amount when I moved and then after mum. And now I sort of need to move to the next level of sorting some of mum's stuff and some of my own so that there is less stuff in the house. I'm not sort of daunted by it but it's just more having the time to do it, but also it's like it's good to let stuff go.'
Encouragement for Others
Ball encouraged the listener to 'try and keep positive' while reassuring her that there is nothing wrong with having 'a good old sob' when needed.
Ball's mother died in 2024 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. The presenter had previously taken a break from her BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show duties before stepping away from the programme later that year. She also suffered the loss of her partner, cameraman Billy Yates, in 2017.
