Real reason Zoe Ball quit BBC Radio 2 after six years - and it's 'completely her decision'

On Tuesday, heartbeats skipped as BBC Radio 2's Zoe Ball stunned her audience with the news of her departure after a six-year tenure. She's warmly acknowledged the outpouring of support that followed her decision to step down from the Breakfast Show position.

Ball is set to leave next month and has cited her desire to "focus on family" as the primary reason for her exit. Nevertheless, she's expressed being "really chuffed" for Scott Mills, who will take up the early morning broadcast baton.

Having taken over from Chris Evans in 2019, Ball feels it's time to wrap up her stint with the dawn chorus, aiming to "step away from the very early mornings and focus on family", marking December 20 as her final day on the airwaves. Meanwhile, Mills, known for his current afternoon slot on Radio 2, will be stepping into his new role come January.

On Instagram, an emotional Ball shared, "Really touched, thanks for the messages, thrilled for my mates Scott, Trevor, Spoony and Sophie."

In an expression of affection and admiration, TV darling Rylan Clark deemed Zoe as "being the best wake-up for the past six years", also showering praise on Mills via his own Instagram stories, proclaiming, "Scott, I've never been more happy for someone. If you grazed your knee you would bleed radio. I know how much this means to you and I'm so proud of you", reports the Mirror.

Zoe Ball radiated joy as she posed for a photo outside the New Broadcasting House with fellow broadcaster Scott Mills. Speaking to reporters, Zoe expressed her sincere pride in her colleague, stating: "It has all turned out nicely," and sharing how thrilled she was saying, "I'm really chuffed for my mate and really excited about it."

During her Tuesday radio show, Ball reached out to her listeners with genuine warmth: "You know I think the world of you all, listeners, and it truly has been such a privilege to share the mornings with you, to go through life's little ups and downs, we got through the lockdown together, didn't we? " Sharing in both the joys and challenges they faced, she added, "We've shared a hell of a lot, the good times, the tough times, there's been a lot of laughter. And I am going to miss you cats."

Zoe also confessed her feelings on parting with the early hours of her broadcasting job: "But I won't miss the 4am alarm call, if I'm completely honest."

The news of Ball's unexpected exit from her BBC Radio 2 morning show followed a previous six-week absence earlier in the year, leaving fans anxious and puzzled. Upon her return, her voice brimmed with happiness, announcing: 'I'm back!' and assuring listeners she was no longer 'a wanderer'.

Despite appearing cheerful upon her return, sources now suggest that Ball was concealing deeper dissatisfaction that had initially led to her stepping away from the mic.

Sources suggest that Zoe Ball's departure from her Radio 2 morning show is motivated by a wish to spend more time with her children, Woody, aged 23, and Nellie, aged 14, particularly after the loss of her beloved mother earlier this year. "She simply wants to live differently, which means having more of a family life," an insider revealed to Mail Online, following Zoe's own admission that she's had enough of the early starts after six years on the programme.

The death of her mother Julia is said to have been a pivotal moment in Zoe reassessing her work-life balance. Regarding her decision to step down from BBC Radio 2 after half a dozen years, a source disclosed: "In the end, this was completely her decision. She came to them [the BBC] in September after she had had a break to think about her life and said: 'I'm done.' The BBC... wanted a bit of time to put everything in place, which they were able to do. They looked at who might do it... I think they only seriously considered Vernon Kay and Scott Mills."