Zoe Ball, 55,has confessed she would love to take on the most sought-after job in British TV – presenting Strictly Come Dancing .
The BBC star has been the favourite to take over from Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly after they announced their shock departure from the broadcaster’s flagship show last autumn.
The speculation intensified when Zoe, who hosted Strictly spin-off show It Takes Two until 2021, announced she was stepping down from her Saturday Radio 2 slot, leaving her weekends open for the top telly job.
But Zoe has broken her silence on the rumours, insisting that whilst she hasn’t been approached yet, she would ‘love’ to take it on.
‘Obviously there’s part of me that would love to do it,’ she said. ‘I love that show. I loved performing on it with Ian Waite, who is one of my best buddies. It’s so joyful.
She cautioned though that it would be a mammoth task to step into her friends Claudia and Tess’ shoes, pointing out ‘it’s live telly, which is another thing that people don’t give the girls enough credit for. That show is a beast. Whoever gets to do it has a tough act to follow.’
Zoe Ball, 55, has confessed she would love to take on the most sought-after job in British TV – presenting StrictlyCome Dancing
The BBCstar has been the favourite to take over from Claudia Winklemanand Tess Daly after they announced their shock departure from the broadcaster’s flagship show last autumn
Zoe then mused to The Sunday Times Style Magazine about the ‘so many brilliant’ stars who she could co-host Strictly with, admitting that whilst the likes of Alan Carr and Amanda Holden have ruled themselves out ‘Rylan would kill it and no one’s mentioned Vernon Kay!’
Whilst Zoe feels ready to step into the Strictly shoes, she insists the potential new job isn’t the reason she left her Saturday Radio 2 slot.
Zoe stepped away her weekend show after just seven months, after previously quitting the coveted Breakfast Show slot in late 2024.
She has explained that the move away from radio was in part due to the grief of losing her beloved mother Julia Peckham in April 2024 after a short battle with cancer with the star calling the months after her death ‘a crazy, awful, hideous nightmare’.
Her grief caused her to reassess her career path and hone in on her relationships with her children Nelly, 16, and Woody, 25.
‘The aftermath was really tough, and for a lot of people that’s when the wheels come off. I did just think, “what are you doing, kid? Where are we going with everything?”‘
With her ex husband, the DJ Fatboy Slim aka Norman Cook, still working every weekend Zoe was keen to take over the co-parenting reigns as her youngest works toward her GCSEs.
Of her co-parenting relationship with Norman, she insists ‘we’ve been really lucky… When he has wanted to do things, I’ve been able to say, “I’ll be here for that bit.”‘
The speculation intensified when Zoe, who hosted Strictly spin-off show It Takes Two (pictured) until 2021, announced she was stepping down from her Saturday Radio 2 slot
Zoe stepped away her Radio 2 weekend show after just seven months, after previously quitting the coveted Breakfast Show slot in late 2024
‘Just for this next six months, I need to be here,’ adding that sometimes being a working parent is a joy but ‘other times it’s carnage and chaos’.
Last month the Daily Mail reported that BBC bosses have reportedly drawn up a ‘Golden Ten’ shortlist as they search for potential new Strictly hosts.
According to reports, presenters including Bradley Walsh, Alex Jones and Alan Carr are among the frontrunners, with insiders claiming bosses will put contenders through a series of partner-swap chemistry tests to find the perfect on-screen match.
The insider added that the stars will be brought into a studio and placed into different pairings to see who has the strongest on-screen connection.
They explained that pairings could consist of two women, two men, or a mixed partnership, as Strictly bosses look to ‘mix things up’ and find a combination that hasn’t been tried before.
While there’s yet to be any official announcement, fans have thrown the top telly names into the ring – including The Chase host Bradley Walsh.
But last week the presenter appeared to rule himself out.
Opening up on his weekends off from filming, the star admitted that while he does often tune in to watch Strictly, being on it would throw off his weekend plans completely.
Zoe has explained that the move away from radio was in part due to the grief of losing her beloved mother Julia Peckham in April 2024 (pictured in 2010)
Her grief caused her to reassess her career path and hone in on her relationships with her children Nelly, 16, and Woody, 25, who she shares with ex husband Norman Cook (pictured with Norman, Nelly and Woody and Woody’s girlfriend Ruby)
Speaking to the Radio Times, Bradley, 65, revealed of his schedule from Fridays to Sundays: ‘I come home from the studio on a Friday, have dinner and watch I’m a Celebrity.
‘On Saturday, I’ll watch the football results, have dinner and a pint, watch Strictly, then I’m a Celebrity, and flip back to the BBC for Match of the Day.’
His Sundays also heavily feature telly, with the presenter adding he often treats himself to a lie-in before tuning into 1960s drama series Columbo, followed by the football and some reality TV.
Batting away the idea he could be next to take over from Claudia and Tess, he added: ‘If I was to host Strictly, it would absolutely ruin my weekend.’
