Celebrity Why Zoe quit Strictly
As she steps down from a dream job, Woman looks at the reasons behind Zoe Ball’s sudden departure from Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two
Zoe Ball’s sudden exit from Strictly Come Dancing spin-off It Takes Two came as a shock to many, not least the star’s co-hosts. When the shake-up – which also saw former Strictly pro dancer Ian Waite walk away – was announced, Claudia Winkleman commented, ‘WHAT? We love you so much. Never missed a show. You’re the greatest. Am calling tomorrow the second you’re off air.’
Zoe, 50, has never hidden her love for Strictly and, discussing her departure on her BBC Radio 2 breakfast show, she said,
‘You know how obsessed I am with it. But sometimes you’ve got to give yourself some new challenges.’
Some fans have speculated, however, that something simply had to give, and that the pressure of her radio show and a primetime TV presenting slot, along with everything she’s been dealing with in her personal life, became too much for Zoe.
One wrote on social media, ‘It’s a heck of a commitment juggling the breakfast show and that and life! You’ll be missed.’ Another said, ‘I totally get it. I’ll miss watching you but love your breakfast show. Keep being happy.’
There’s no denying Zoe has faced a lot of emotional challenges in recent years, so could taking back control of her life be the main reason for her stepping back, or is it all part of a bigger Strictly shake-up?
With no confirmation yet on who will join Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Craig Revel Horwood on the judging panel for the
‘YOU JUST HAVE TO BE YOU’
new series, and Clara Amfo and Rylan Clarkneal in the frame to replace Zoe and Ian, the show could look very different this year.
Healing from heartbreak
Zoe has been open about her struggles after the sudden death of her partner Billy Yates, who took his own life in 2017. Last year, she shared the depth of her grief for the first time, admitting in an interview that she was in a state of shock ‘for two years afterwards’.
She described her pain in making it through every day and recalled, ‘You can’t see beyond putting your feet on the floor and getting out of bed each day.’
As she finally came through the worst of her grief, the presenter chose to dedicate her spare time to raising awareness of mentalhealth issues in memory of Billy, who had struggled with his own mental health for a number of years. Since then, her work for charities such as Sport Relief has raised over £1 million – and she even took on a 350-mile cycle ride to support the cause.
As her focus began to shift from her high-flying career to such high-profile campaigns – and being even more present for her children Woody, 20, and 11-yearold Nelly – Zoe pledged that she would spend more quality time with loved ones and ‘be there for my friends and family’.
New priorities
At the centre of her focus is her daughter Nelly. Zoe confesses that she wishes she could see more of her. ‘I don’t get to see my Nell in the morning,’ she told listeners on her breakfast show. ‘So to be able to see her in the evening is such a lovely thing, because she’s growing up so fast.’
Despite her 2016 separation from Norman Cook (aka Fatboy Slim), who is the father of her children, Zoe describes her ex as ‘a good friend and good guy’ with whom she enjoys co-parenting. The presenter also feels it’s time to put her mental health first, adding, ‘Since losing Billy, I’ve met lots of people who’ve helped me have a better understanding of the complexities of mental health.’ As a result, she feels more confident in her decisions – such as the move to leave Strictly – and is finally comfortable in her own skin. ‘I wish I’d known [when I was younger] that you don’t have to be what people are expecting you to be,’ she says. ‘You just have to be you.’ Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two will be very different without the bubbly host.