Zoe Ball stepped out in public with her new man for the first time after she confessed her ‘lodger’ in her home is indeed her new boyfriend
Zoe Ball has kept her man’s identity under wraps(Image: PA)
The identity of Zoe Ball’s new boyfriend has finally been confirmed. The former BBC Radio 2 presenter has teased her new romance for several months, but kept her man out of the public eye.
But now the 55-year-old radio host has been snapped cosying up to BAFTA-winning production designer Mathieu Weekes. Zoe and the 49-year-old were seen enjoying a coastal stroll together near Brighton.
Zoe was seen wearing a beanie hat and an animal-print scarf for the outing. Mathieu, meanwhile, wore blue jeans and a hooded coat. The duo clung to their umbrellas. Zoe also linked onto her partner’s arm.
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Zoe Ball with ex husband Fatboy Slim, and their kids Woody and Nelly(Image: zoetheball/Instagram)
The images, obtained by Daily Mail, showed Zoe looking extremely loved up as she moves on with Mathieu, an award-winning production designer who has worked on series such as The Traitors and I’m A Celeb, is said that have met Zoe while he was designing the set for talent show Mamma Mia! – I Have a Dream in 2023.
Zoe, who was presenting the series in Greece at the time, split from Michael Reed in the same year. Previously, speaking on her Dig It podcast, which she co-hosts with pal Jo Whiley, Zara had referred to Mathieu as “The Lodger”.
The mum of two, who split from her ex-husband Norman Cook (known as Fatboy Slim) a decade ago after 18 years together, set the record straight as she admitted that the live-in man is actually her boyfriend.
And she gave an insight into her love life as she told her co-host: “I’ve often had this thing, when I’ve been sort of dating someone, I love smelling their armpits.
“I know it sounds weird, but if you love someone, you’ve got to love all their smells, not necessarily their bathroom smells. I draw a line at that. But there’s something about armpit smells that I think are really sexy.”
And she continued to say that her favourite thing to do, “especially if I’ve not seen my lover for a while, is when they’ve got their arms around you, I’m like sniffing in the armpits, and I get a right old look”.
Before her relationship with Michael, Zoe had dated cameraman and technician Billy Yates. Sadly, Billy took his own life in May 2017 after a lengthy battle with depression.
Speaking afterwards in a bid to raise awareness about men’s mental health, Zoe explained: “After he died, I was left with lots of questions. I think it is one in four of us in the UK who are living with mental illness. Those figures are huge, so most people you meet are going to have been touched by this subject.”
Last week, during a chat with the Sunday Times, Zoe revealed that his death gave her a different perspective on life. She said: “There is the grief-on-grief of other losses. It’s really made me look back and think, right, what’s important here?”
Zoe left her job as a radio presenter on BBC Radio 2 late last year. After revealing the shock news of her departure from her hit show, she left quickly just a week later.
She said her goodbyes to listeners on December 20. Zoe then handed over the reins to Emma Willis.
If you’re struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch
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