BBC Radio 2 presenter Zoe Ball has offered a candid glimpse into the ongoing challenges of her sobriety, nearly ten years after she quit alcohol for good. The 55-year-old star, who has been open about her struggles, reflected on how the reactions of friends and family presented one of the biggest hurdles.
The Social Pressure of Staying Sober
Speaking on the latest episode of her 'Dig It' podcast with friend Jo Whiley, Ball discussed a listener's question about Dry January. She admitted that altering social habits is a significant part of the journey. "It is quite tricky because you sort of have to change your socialising habits a little bit," she said, while acknowledging the growing range of alcohol-free options available today.
However, for Ball, total abstinence proved more effective than substituting with non-alcoholic versions. The more profound difficulty, she revealed, came from the people around her. "Often the people's reaction around you, I found even in my own family would be like 'oh go on just have one, go on, just have one','' she shared. Ball recalled a time when people felt the need to invent excuses, like being on antibiotics, to avoid drinking.
A Decade-Long Journey with Stumbles
Zoe Ball's path to sustained sobriety was not linear. She first gave up alcohol on New Year's Day in 2009, following a party of "total carnage." After six years of abstinence, she suffered a relapse in 2014. It took her several attempts to tackle the alcohol problem that shadowed her career rise from children's TV to becoming the first female host of Radio 1's Breakfast Show.
She finally quit for good in 2016. In 2020, she disclosed that she had attended rehab to address her problem drinking. "I was lucky enough to go to rehab actually and through meeting other people who had addictions as well," she told Desert Island Discs, explaining how it helped her overcome shyness and the social crutch alcohol had provided.
Navigating a Professionally and Personally Tough Year
The discussion of her sobriety comes after a profoundly difficult period for the broadcaster. In April 2024, her mother, Julia Peckham, died following a battle with pancreatic cancer. Ball subsequently stepped down from her Radio 2 show to focus on family.
She later fought back tears on her podcast, describing an "emotional breakdown" in the aftermath. "I couldn't work. I was on the floor in the kitchen. I couldn't move," she recalled, praising a doctor who came to her aid.
Professionally, Ball announced in December that she was leaving her BBC Radio 2 Saturday lunchtime show after seven months, with Emma Willis taking over the slot. She described the last year as feeling like "Indiana Jones sometimes... when the massive ball is running down the hill."
Reflecting on the clarity sobriety brings, especially after a tough year, Ball highlighted the simple joy of a clear head. "I woke up on New Year's Day, it's like 'god I love this feeling of waking up, not shameful,'" she said, a testament to the peace her near-decade of sobriety has brought.
