Zoe Ball has reportedly turned to her ex-husband Fatboy Slim, Norman Cook, after enduring the heartbreaking loss of her mum, Julia Peckham.
Zoe took an unexpected break from her radio show following the death of her mother, who was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer at the beginning of this year.
During this difficult time, the radio host has reportedly lent on her former husband of nearly two decades, popular DJ Norman Cook – known as Fatboy Slim.
Zoe Ball ‘leans on’ ex-husband Fatboy Slim
A source alleged to OK! that the BBC Radio 2 found solace in her ex-husband’s support, after maintaining a close friendship since their split back in 2016.
“Zoe has really struggled these past few months as she copes with the loss of her mum and just lots of changes in her life. And despite them splitting up, Norman is the one person she can still rely on and he has been her rock, as he always is,” claims the source.
Back in April, Zoe shared that she had lost her mum, just 12 weeks after her pancreatic cancer diagnosis.
She described the heart-wrenching loss as leaving her family bereft. In wake of this, Zoe took several weeks away from work.
Reports also state that Zoe has since moved from her home in Sussex, to Brighton and Hove, where Norman lives. The source continued: “Zoe knows she can just be herself around Norman and he picks her up when she’s down. And now, after everything, she’s realised that she can’t be far away from him. Which is why she’s moving back to Hove so she can be a lot closer to him.”
The source went on to say: “He always said that her moving to the country would eventually get a bit boring and lonely and that she needs people around her. And, he’s right. She can’t wait to get back down the coast and start having fun again.”
ED! has contacted reps for comment.
Zoe Ball’s split from Fatboy Slim
According to reports, Zoe and Norman briefly split in 2003 after Norman allegedly discovered Zoe’s affair with his friend, DJ Dan Peppe.
Just months later the pair reunited. They even welcomed their second child, Nelly, in 2010.
By 2016 the pair announced that they had “come to the end of our rainbow” and had made the decision to permanently separate.
They had been married for 18 years.
In 2017, Norman told the Daily Star how performing was an escapism after a “traumatic year” amid their split.
He said: “I was providing that escapism for the crowds. And now they’re providing that escapism for me. […] Having hit a traumatic year, for those two hours when I’m on stage, I forget all my worries and I feel like I can escape.”
Despite their split, the pair have remained close friends. They share children Woody and Nelly.
Read more: Zoe Ball returns to radio show following ‘concerning’ absence as she says ‘I’ve wandered back’
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