Zoe Ball's new job updates and why she really left beloved BBC Radio 2 gig

BBC Radio 2 presenter Zoe Ball will be moving on to pastures new in January 2025 after announcing the end of her six-year stint on the Breakfast Show this week

Zoe Ball will be leaving her beloved Radio 2 morning show for a new role in the New Year - and now fans are wondering what will come next for the star.

The BBC presenter, 53, shocked listeners when she announced the news that she will be leaving her duties as host of the Breakfast Show on Tuesday. Zoe, who has been part of the programme for six years, will be replaced by her close friend and colleague, Scott Mills.

Zoe succeeded Chris Evans in 2019 and now she is ready to bid farewell to her early mornings and start a new chapter in her career. Her final broadcast is scheduled for December 20, while Scott is set to take over from January. But what will her next job bring?

Zoe revealed in her announcement that she will remain with the BBC working on Radio 2, but won't be presenting at the crack of dawn. She said it was her time to "step away from the very early mornings" and added: "I won't miss the 4am alarm call, if I'm completely honest."

Updating listeners on her next steps, she said that she wasn't "going to be a stranger" and is staying with her "Radio 2 crew", though didn't share any more details. Zoe said: "While I'm stepping away from the Breakfast Show, I'm not disappearing entirely - I'll still be part of the Radio 2 family, with more news in the New Year."

Citing the reason for her departure, Zoe said she plans to "focus on family" and be "a mum in the mornings" again, adding she "can't wait to tune in on the school run". Sources have claimed Zoe wants to spend more time with her kids, Woody, 23, and Nellie, 14, after the death of her mother earlier this year.

"She simply wants to live differently, which means having more of a family life," an insider told Mail Online. The catalyst for the change in Zoe's perspective on her work-life balance is reportedly down to the passing of her beloved mum, Julia, who died in April from pancreatic cancer.

A source said: "In the end, this was completely her decision. She came to them [the BBC] in September after she had had a break to think about her life and said: 'I'm done'. The BBC... wanted a bit of time to put everything in place, which they were able to do."

Zoe's shock exit comes after she had an unexplained six-week absence this summer. Listeners were growing increasingly concerned for the radio presenter, but after six weeks, Zoe returned to the show as she declared 'I'm back!' in an upbeat tone, keeping her reasons for being off-air private.

It's now been noted how well she's been getting along with her ex, iconic DJ Norman Cook, aka Fatboy Slim. During yesterday's show, Zoe reminisced over her and Norman's 1999 wedding at Somerset's dreamy Babbington House, remembering, 'That was a good do'.

Zoe and Norman first locked eyes in 1997 and officially parted ways in 2016 - following a brief separation in 2003 after the revelation that Zoe had cheated with Norman's pal DJ Dan Peppe. The pair remained an important part of each other's lives, co-parenting Woody and Nelly as a team.

In recent times, the former couple have grown particularly close, with Zoe set to spend her 54th birthday watching her ex perform in North London this weekend. Shedding light on their alleged closeness with the Mail Online, a source said that Norman is 'very much there for her' during what has been a terrible year.

According to the paper, there are 'whispers of a new closeness' between Zoe and Norman, who are both currently single, but any potential for a rekindling of their romance is thought to likely just be 'wishful thinking' on the part of their many pals.