BBC Radio 2 presenter Zoe Ball shared heartfelt advice with listeners experiencing the same pain she endured as she reflected on losing three loved ones
Zoe Ball has reflected on the grief she has endured following the deaths of three of her loved ones. The 55-year-old presenter is no stranger to heartache, having lost her mum, her former partner Billy Yates and her stepdad Rick over the course of 14 years.
Opening up about grief, the BBC Radio 2 host shared advice for those coping with the loss of a loved one after receiving messages from fans about their own experiences.
Speaking on the latest episode of her and Jo Whiley’s Dig It podcast, she shared: “I think sometimes when you lose someone in a similar way… I know lots of people have spoken to me about relatives who have had pancreatic cancer, as they knew that my mum had had pancreatic cancer.
“And people have spoken to me about MND (Motor neurone disease) because we lost our stepdad to MND.
“And losing Billy, a lot of people have spoken to me when they’ve gone through loss in that way and people reach out and it breaks my heart to know someone else will go through that,” she added.
Zoe began raising awareness about MND in 2012 after her stepdad died from the condition, which causes muscle weakness that progressively worsens over time.
According to the NHS, it is usually life-shortening and there is currently no cure, although treatment can help manage the symptoms.
Zoe suffered more heartbreak when her former partner, BBC cameraman Billy Yates, died by suicide aged 40 in 2017.
In a previous episode of the podcast, the mother-of-two said it maintaining connections with his loved ones had provided immense solace.
“Losing Billy, you know, I’ve been so lucky to have all of his wonderful family and friends stay really close,” she shared.
“And it’s great to see his nieces and nephews doing so brilliantly at life and his friends who really, really, make me laugh.
“Those people who you can be with who share that kind of love and essence of someone that you’ve lost,” she added.
Zoe’s mother Julia Peckham died in 2024 aged 74 following her battle with pancreatic cancer.
The devastating loss led to the presenter taking time off work before she stepped down from the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show later that year.
Offering words of comfort to those experiencing grief, the presenter told listeners that happier days do eventually return.
“What you can find comfort [in] is the people further along in that grieving journey,” she said.
“You’ll find people who have gone through exactly what you’re going through and they will understand exactly what you’re going through at that moment, because they’ve been there.
“But hopefully they’ll be able to see that in time and you take as long as you need in those journeys,” she added.
“And it’s so tough but further down the line, you will find happiness again and you will find joy again, that will happen.”
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