Zoe Ball has returned to BBC Radio 2 after more than six weeks away from her role as host of the breakfast show. During her absence, the station’s afternoon presenter, Scott Mills, stepped in to present the flagship programme.
Before resuming her duties on Monday, Ball had not been on air since August 8. As she opened her show, she cheerfully greeted her listeners: “Morning gorgeous people, it’s me Zoe the happy wanderer. I’ve wandered back.” She humorously asked, “How was your Brat summer? Was it marvellous? We did that in the 90s, it was called something different then.”
Ball took a moment to express her gratitude to Scott Mills for covering in her absence, promising more details later. Despite returning to the airwaves, she did not directly address the reason for her extended absence.
When a listener joked that she may have been in Turkey for cosmetic procedures, Ball quipped that she hadn’t gone for “a new face and teeth.” Later in the show, she sent “lots of love” to her friends and fellow broadcasters, Lauren Laverne and Jamie Theakston, both of whom have recently shared their cancer diagnoses. Ball reassured listeners that both are receiving treatment and “doing well.”
Ball’s unplanned break raised questions among listeners, especially as it came soon after she had already taken a holiday. Over the weekend, a BBC Radio 2 spokesperson confirmed her return, saying, “We are looking forward to welcoming Zoe back to the Radio 2 Breakfast Show.”
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, Ball confirmed her return and thanked Scott Mills and DJ Spoony for filling in for her. Mills, on his first day substituting for Ball, didn’t offer an explanation for her absence. He simply greeted listeners by saying, “Good morning. You weren’t expecting me, were you? Welcome to Monday. It’s Scott Mills. If you usually wake up to Zoe at 6:30, don’t panic, you haven’t overslept.”
Zoe Ball has been the host of BBC Radio 2’s breakfast show since 2019, taking over from Chris Evans, who held the position for nine years. She made history as the first female presenter of the Radio 2 Breakfast Show and was also the first woman to host Radio 1’s Breakfast Show, which she led from 1998 to 2000.
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