Norman Cook, known globally as Fatboy Slim, has shared an exclusive insight into his sobriety journey, revealing what initially 'petrified' him about performing without alcohol. The iconic DJ, aged 62, headlined an impressive set at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in Sunderland's Herrington Country Park, alongside Zara Larsson and Olivia Dean.
Honoured to Perform After Three Decades
Cook expressed his honour at being invited to the festival after more than 30 years in the music industry. 'I feel like the uncle who comes back at Christmas to see how his nieces and nephews have grown,' he joked. 'It's fabulous to be invited after all these years. I have been around for a while.' He noted that staying in the industry long enough means trends cycle back, much like fashion. 'People who were brought up with my music are now coming to the shows with their kids. It's the same way I grew up loving The Beatles because my parents played them. We're in this sweet spot now where the parents are still just young enough to go out raving with their kids.'
The Fear of DJing Sober
After being a regular on the 90s party scene, Fatboy Slim has now been sober for 17 years. Adjusting to performing without alcohol took time, and one aspect terrified him. 'The thought of DJing sober just absolutely petrified me. The first few shows I couldn't dance, my hips locked up and I'm thinking what are you doing here? You're a middle-aged man playing scratching noises to young people who are waving their arms about and you're waving your arms about.' He realised that it's about people coming together to the sound of a kick drum, triggering a communal experience. 'When I'm on stage, I still feel a little intoxicated. That's where I get my kicks now.'
New Routines On and Off Stage
Cook now has a different approach to his gigs. 'When the show ends, I have a cup of tea and I go to bed - which I never used to - and I live to fight another day. And that's very important.' He also has a pre-show ritual: 'I put on the Hawaiian shirt, I take off the shoes and then Alan, my tour manager, slaps me really hard around the face just to get the adrenaline going,' he joked.
Family Life and Fatherhood
Before the festival, Cook was in 'dad-mode', helping his 16-year-old daughter Nelly, whom he shares with ex-wife Zoe Ball, prepare for her GCSE exams. 'I've been off the road for three weeks so I'm like a caged tiger, ready to play. After weeks of revision I need to get out and kick off some cobwebs.' His son Woody, aged 25, is touring the UK with his own DJ sets this summer. Cook and Zoe, who split in 2016 after 18 years of marriage, never imagined Woody would follow in their footsteps. 'Me and Zoe kind of had the idea that he was going to be like Saffy in Absolutely Fabulous and he would just look at our behaviour and go, 'I don't want it. I'm going to be a librarian.' But he didn't turn out like that. The apple apparently doesn't fall far from the tree.'
Woody's Early Exposure to DJing
Woody's first taste of DJing came from accompanying his dad to Ibiza and joining him at Cafe Mambo. 'We would take him down when he was really young but he was quite a little bit hot and bothered so the only safe place was in the DJ booth. So he would sit playing with his Lego at my feet while I was DJing.' At age six or seven, Woody realised why his dad loved his job: 'It's really exciting. The music's really loud and everyone's shouting at you and getting over excited.' Cook advises Woody to follow his heart, and notes that he is also starting to do TV work with his mother. 'He's doing really well. I tell him to follow his heart. He's DJing and he is just starting doing more TV stuff with his mum, because he is just half me and half Zoe, so he could be a TV presenter as well.'
Co-Parenting with Zoe Ball
Since leaving her Radio 2 Breakfast Show job in December 2024, Zoe Ball, 55, moved out of London and now lives close to Norman in Sussex. 'Yeah it's great, I mean Woody lives in Bristol now so I don't see him as much but Zoe lives up the road and we're still really good friends and co-parents. We've just been getting Nelly through her exams at the moment.' As for whether his daughter will join him at festivals this summer, Cook laughed: 'She's at a festival in Sussex tonight. She doesn't want to hang out with her dad on a night out.'
