Zoe Ball said she suffered a "proper emotional breakdown" after her mother, Julia, died last year and was forced to take time away from work while she grieved.
Speaking on her BBC podcast Dig It with Jo Whiley, the 54-year-old broadcaster said she was unable to work following her mother's death in April 2024, telling listeners: "I couldn't work. I was on the floor in the kitchen. I couldn't, I couldn't move." She said a doctor who visited her brought "coffee and bagels" and arranged help.
Ball, who announced Julia's death on social media last year, said she had avoided speaking publicly about the depth of her grief until the podcast conversation. She described finding her mother's first birthday after the death "the toughest" and said it was followed by "a week of absolute weeping." She added that she still becomes emotional when talking about her mother and encouraged leaning on loved ones and allowing oneself to cry.
The broadcaster stepped down from the BBC Radio 2 breakfast show late last year; Scott Mills was announced as her successor. Before leaving the morning slot, Ball was reported to be one of the highest-paid female presenters at the BBC, with an annual salary of £950,000.
Announcing her mother's death on social media, Ball wrote: "Sleep tight dear Mama. Thank you for teaching us how to love unconditionally, to always show courage and empathy, and how, even in the darkest of days, laughter is the greatest of gifts. We are bereft without you but will hold so tight to each other."
On the podcast she said she had not previously discussed the breakdown publicly. "I had a proper emotional breakdown, you know, I haven't really talked about it actually. But it was, yeah, it was brutal," she said.
The conversation also touched on Ball's reflections about early television work and the pressures on women in the industry. Citing memories prompted by reading Sophie Ellis-Bextor's memoir, Ball recalled situations she now recognises as uncomfortable, saying there had been times when requests on shoots felt impossible to refuse. She described being put in situations such as being asked to "straddle a chair" and facing racks of very small clothing, adding that at the time presenters were conditioned to accept such directions.
Pancreatic cancer, the illness that claimed Julia Ball's life, is among the most lethal forms of cancer and is often diagnosed at a late stage. Notes provided in media coverage describe it as the sixth most common cause of cancer death in the U.K.; roughly 10,000 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the U.K. each year and about 55,000 in the U.S. The disease is caused by uncontrolled growth of cells in the pancreas and most cases occur in people over age 55. There is no established screening test for pancreatic cancer, and symptoms often appear only at later stages when the disease may have spread, limiting treatment options. Surgical removal of the pancreas can be effective for some patients whose disease is detected early; for those with advanced disease, palliative care is typically advised to manage symptoms.
Ball's comments on grief follow a period of public and professional transition. She has two children and has publicly discussed the impact of her mother's death on her family life and work. On Dig It she emphasised the value of support from friends, family and medical professionals in her recovery, and described the process of grieving as something that required allowing emotions to surface rather than suppressing them.
Her disclosure adds to ongoing public conversations about mental health, bereavement and working through grief in high-profile roles, and underscores the personal toll of losing a close family member to a rapidly progressing illness such as pancreatic cancer.