Zoe Ball expressed a major concern with her BBC Radio 2 gig before her mystery disappearance off-air.
The popular star has left loyal listeners worried about her whereabouts for six weeks, with fellow radio presenters filling her shoes, including DJ Scott Mills. It's not the first time the 53-year-old has taken a break from the show as she previously called off her work commitments to mourn the tragic loss of her mother, who died of cancer in April just 12 weeks after being diagnosed.
She also took a short break to mark her late mum's birthday but when she was supposed to return on August 5, she was nowhere to be heard, with other presenters having to step in. She has now finally been publicly seen for the first time since her absence - pictured laughing and smiling alongside her ex-husband, Norman Cook.
The presenter was spotted on Sunday outside a cafe in Hove, with eyewitnesses saying the broadcaster was there for just over an hour. In a revealing chat last year, Zoe raised her fear of easily misstepping whilst live on the airwaves, causing her to be 'cancelled' by fans.
Speaking on the Table Manners podcast with Jessie and Lennie Ware in 2023, the star opened up about handling negative feedback from social media users and how it could all end suddenly. She admitted to sometimes finding herself "annoying" and thus expects some flak from listeners of her BBC Radio 2 breakfast show. She said: "You have to protect yourself slightly."
"With socials and stuff I have a Twitter account but I tend to use it for work. You only have to read one comment that can send you down such a... because people feel, at times, like they want to tell you terrible things.
"You have to believe in yourself but also the most important thing, and you'll find this too, is your family and friends. And I love that my mates are like, 'just take the mickey out of me' and your kids just bring you back down to earth.
"And that's kind of what life is about, your friends and family. And I'm really lucky to be doing a job, and still be doing it 30 years later. I could be cancelled at any moment, it's a risk every morning. You are only one sentence away from cancelling yourself."
While a specific reason for Zoe's time off has not been revealed, according to the BBC’s online schedule, Zoe will host on Monday, September 23, with the Maximum Music Monday show. The description of the show reads: "Wake up and embrace the day with Zoe Ball and the team. Zoe keeps the tunes rolling on Maximum Music Monday."
In the meantime, she has been replaced by Scott Mills and Gaby Roslin. Scott Mills previously addressed Zoe's absence from the network and clarified why he was stepping in for the presenter. "Do not freak out, you have not overslept, if you've just put us on this morning, it's Scott Mills in for Zoe for the next few weeks. I'm sending you all my love Zo', as are the team."
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