Sad truth behind Zoe Ball's shock decision to quit Radio 2 despite £950k salary

Zoe Ball is leaving BBC Radio 2 adjacent period aft six years connected aerial pursuing a pugnacious twelvemonth aft losing her beloved mum

On Tuesday, BBC Radio 2 presenter Zoe Ball shocked listeners erstwhile she announced that she was leaving her duties connected the amusement aft six years - and present the existent crushed for her departure has been 'revealed'.

Zoe, 53, shared her heartfelt gratitude, saying she is "really touched" by the question of well-wishes pursuing her announcement that she volition beryllium stepping down arsenic host of BBC Radio 2’s Breakfast Show.

The media prima plans to permission adjacent period and cites wanting to "focus connected family" arsenic her reason but besides expressed that she's "really chuffed" for Scott Mills, who volition measurement into the aboriginal greeting role.

Ball succeeded Chris Evans successful 2019 and aft six years, she's acceptable to bid farewell to the dawn chorus, indicating it's clip for her to "step distant from the precise aboriginal mornings and absorption connected family", with her last broadcast scheduled for December 20. Meanwhile, Mills, presently hosting Radio 2’s day slot, is acceptable to instrumentality implicit from January.

On Instagram, Ball showed appreciation: "Really touched, acknowledgment for the messages, thrilled for my mates Scott, Trevor, Spoony and Sophie." TV favourite Rylan Clark hailed Zoe arsenic "being the champion wake-up for the past six years" portion besides lauding Mills successful his Instagram stories: "Scott, I’ve ne'er been much blessed for someone. If you grazed your genu you would bleed radio. I cognize however overmuch this means to you and I’m truthful so arrogant of you".

Beaming alongside Mills for a photograph op extracurricular New Broadcasting House, Zoe told reporters of her pridefulness for her workfellow Mills. "It has each turned retired nicely," she said contently.

"I’m truly chuffed for my mate and truly excited astir it." Ball warmed the hearts of her fans during her Tuesday vigor amusement erstwhile she addressed her audience, saying, "You cognize I deliberation the world of you all, listeners, and it genuinely has been specified a privilege to stock the mornings with you, to spell done life’s small ups and downs, we got done the lockdown together, didn’t we?"

"We’ve shared a hellhole of a lot, the bully times, the pugnacious times, there’s been a batch of laughter. And I americium going to miss you cats." Despite the emotion for her job, Ball couldn't defy adding a enactment connected her aboriginal starts: "But I won’t miss the 4am alarm call, if I’m wholly honest."

Zoe's daze departure from BBC Radio 2 comes aft she had an unexplained six-week lack this summer. Listeners were increasing progressively acrophobic for the vigor presenter, but aft six weeks, Zoe returned to the amusement arsenic she declared 'I'm back!' successful an upbeat tone.

At the time, Zoe said she was blessed to beryllium backmost arsenic she told Radio 2 listeners that she was a 'wanderer' nary more. However, insiders person present claimed that the much-loved prima was masking the unhappiness that had kept her disconnected aerial for six weeks.

Sources person claimed that Zoe's reasoning for leaving her duties connected Radio 2 are down to a tendency to walk much clip with her kids, Woody, 23, and Nellie, 14 - aft the decease of her beloved mum earlier this year.

"She simply wants to unrecorded differently, which means having much of a household life," the insider told Mail Online after Zoe herself said that she has had capable of the 4am wake-up calls aft six years connected the show.

The catalyst for the alteration successful Zoe's position connected her work-life equilibrium is reportedly down to the passing of her beloved parent Julia, who died earlier this year.

Of her determination to yet telephone it a time aft six years astatine BBC Radio 2, a root said: "In the end, this was wholly her decision. She came to them [the BBC] successful September aft she had had a interruption to deliberation astir her beingness and said: 'I'm done.' The BBC... wanted a spot of clip to enactment everything successful place, which they were capable to do. They looked astatine who mightiness bash it... I deliberation they lone earnestly considered Vernon Kay and Scott Mills."

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