BBC star Zoe Ball has broken her silence for the first time since sensationally quitting her Radio 2 show – amid swirling Strictly rumours.
The presenter, 55, announced she would be stepping down during her show last Saturday – with her final programme set to air on December 20.
Zoe cryptically said she would “not be disappearing completely”, before revealing her lunchtime slot replacement as presenter Emma Willis.
The shock announcement came after the host emerged in the BBC’s “Golden Ten” top-secret Strictly Come Dancing chemistry test.
The Sun revealed Zoe was one of the ten stars put through their paces to find the perfect on screen partnership for the Saturday night show.
But speaking on her decision to quit the radio show, the beloved presenter claims she was “just stepping back”, according to the MailOnline.
Zoe first took to the airwaves as co-host of the prestigious Radio 1 Breakfast Show nearly thirty years ago.
She then became the first female DJ to host the primetime slot solo.
After nearly two decades at Radio 2, Zoe said she will be stepping down in the new year but will return to host specials for the station.
She took on the Saturday lunchtime show after quitting as the voice of the Radio 2 Breakfast show in 2024, which she helmed for six years.
Announcing her decision on air, she said: “I have loved being betwixt my dear friends Romesh (Ranganathan) and Rylan (Clark).
“I love you all to bits, but I’m not disappearing completely.
“Obviously, it’ll be Christmas Crooners and I’m doing an eras show in the new year, more on that later.
“I am thrilled to tell you that you will be in the safest of hands, because there is a super woman who is no stranger to you all…
“…but this does mean that she will officially become a member of the Radio 2 family.”
The news immediately sparked rumours Ball could be in the running to replace Tess and Claudia as Strictly Come Dancing host.
Earlier this series, the duo dropped a bombshell, revealing they would be stepping away from the beloved BBC dance show for the final time.
Amid all the work changes for Zoe, there have also been personal developments in her life.
She recently revealed she has a mystery “lodger” who she joked has “won more awards” than her.
Ball dropped the hint on her “Dig It” podcast, confessing that her multimillion-pound pad now has a very special new resident.
While Zoe has hinted at a mystery man, the status of their relationship remains unclear.
Her last public romance was with construction worker Michael Reed, which ended in 2023.
Zoe was married to DJ Norman Cook (better known as Fatboy Slim) for 18 years, before splitting in 2016.
The couple, who co-parent their children Woody and Nelly, have stayed close since their split, with Norman even calling Zoe his “soulmate.”
