Radio DJ Zoe Ball has opened up candidly about her 2016 divorce from DJ Norman Cook, with whom she shares two children, admitting that it was ‘overwhelming on so many fronts’
Zoe Ball, who quit her Saturday afternoon Radio 2 show last December, divorced from Normal Cook (Fatboy Slim) in 2016, after 17 years of marriage. At the time, the pair explained that they had simply grown apart and former ‘ladette’ Zoe still wanted to “go out and have fun”, while Norman wanted a more quiet life at home.
But unlike many showbiz couples, their split was amicable and they remain famously close friends, as well as supportive co-parents to their children Woody, 25, – also a DJ and daughter Nelly, 16. They even live close to each other near Lewes, Sussex and are often pictured grabbing a coffee or enjoying family time with their kids.
Now, Zoe has given a rare insight into their divorce 10 years ago on Digitpod, the podcast she hosts alongside good pal and fellow Radio 2 stalwart Jo Whiley, as they ‘lift the lid on the messy, everyday reality of trying to live well.’
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Opening up in response to a particular question from a listener that had been sent in to the pair, she revealed, “The anticipation of divorce is everything. You try everything, then you just think… this is not working.”
She added thoughtfully, “And then the anticipation of coming out with it and saying to your partner, ‘Right, this is the time’ it’s scary. It’s overwhelming on all fronts. You’re worrying about the kids, you’re worrying about your partner, you’re worrying about you and how it will all work out.”
“Something I can tell you from personal experience, is yes, it is a lot to go through, but you will come out the other side of it, but the fact that you know that you need to do this? You will all be better in the end. “
Followers were swift to give their take on Zoe’s comments about divorce. One wrote, “This conversation was so affirming and relatable from two women I admire so much’. Another who has been through similar penned, “Thank you! It’s the most scary time the run p & it can be a looong time but you are 100% right it will be alright for everyone.”
Earlier this month, Zoe shared some guidance with another unnamed podcast listener, about the difficulties of navigating break-ups and bringing a new romantic interest into her children’s lives.
The listener revealed she had walked away from her 18-year marriage about a year and a half ago after feeling “desperately unhappy” and has since begun seeing someone new, though was anxious about telling her sons, who blamed her for the split.
Zoe responded: “Well, yes I have had this and quite a few times,” before making a light-hearted quip about her children’s response to her dating life: “Another one?! as my kids would say, just kidding.”
She added: “But firstly, yes it is so hard to leave a relationship when you know it’s the right thing to do. It’s just so difficult, you feel awful for the person you’ve left, you feel terrible for breaking up a family, you feel guilty for your family, it is a lot.
“It does take such bravery but when you’re out and the dust starts to settle, you realise it was exactly what you needed to do. And hopefully as your kids get older you can talk to them a little bit more about why that happened. Sometimes you might not want to talk to them about that, they might not want to hear it.
Zoe has had several romantic relationships since her divorce, and has been in a relationship with Mathieu Weekes, a BAFTA-winning TV production designer, since 2024. On her podcast with Jo, she revealed they’ved moved in together, joking that she refers to him as ‘The Lodger’.
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