Zoë: ‘My new man’s put me back together’
The presenter has found love again
Zoë Ball will not look back at 2017 as anything but a terrible year, given her boyfriend’s tragic suicide in May at the age of 40. But eight months after the shocking death of cameraman Billy Yates, the presenter is moving on, and has found love again with construction worker Michael Reed.
“Zoë is happy – it’s like she’s found her mojo again with Michael,” says heat’s source close to the 47-year-old It Takes Two host. “He took her and the kids away over the festive period, and Zoë says she’s really falling for him. It’s early days and they’ve only been dating for a couple of months. She says that Michael is just what the doctor ordered and he’s helped her get back to herself again. She feels very lucky to have met him.”
And Zoë has a rather unusual supporter of her new relationship – her ex-husband Norman, 54, aka Fatboy Slim. “Norman has remained Zoë’s best friend and supporter throughout all of this,” says an insider close to the pair, who have two children and separated after 18 years in 2016. “Zoë is grateful they’ve stayed close. She actually met Michael through a mutual friend, who knew they’d hit it off, but Zoë says she couldn’t have started anything serious without Norman’s approval. In fact, all of Zoë’s friends and family have given Michael the thumbs-up, telling her not to worry what other people think. They’ve encouraged Zoë to see that this is her life, and she has to make the most of it.”
But that doesn’t mean it’s been an easy road. “Zoë went through some dark times after losing Billy,” says the insider. “She spent last year grieving, and it felt like she was lost in the wilderness for a long time. The loss she felt after Billy took his own life had a profound impact on Zoë, and she almost became a recluse. But these past few weeks, it’s like a huge weight has been lifted. Michael has become a real guiding light for Zoë. But even now, she says it feels wrong to be happy, and she worries what the public might think of her for moving on. Loss is a terrible thing – you’re left behind to pick up the pieces. It takes time to regroup, but Michael’s been like Zoë’s emotional superglue. He’s put her back together. She’s finally beginning to curb all the confusing feelings of guilt and blame. Of course, you never completely get over something like this, but she’s ready to move on at last. And Michael’s definitely a keeper.” n