Zoe Ball eyes up new job on rival channel after Strictly snub
The former BBC Radio 2 presenter is moving on up.
Zoe Ball has accepted an exciting new role after she missed out on hosting Strictly Come Dancing last month, according to reports. It's been claimed that the presenter is joining a rival channel, following in the footsteps of her former colleagues, Simon Mayo and Ken Bruce. The mum-of-two, who was the voice of BBC Radio 2 until last December, is expected to move over to a new role on Greatest Hits Radio this autumn.
It comes after she auditioned to become the new host of Strictly, but was pipped to the post. It was revealed last month that a trio of presenters will take to the infamous BBC ballroom: Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe.
Despite her disappointment, Zoe has apparently used the BBC snub as encouragement to accept a new radio role. A source told The Sun: "Greatest Hits have wanted her for a while and as soon as Zoe found out about the Strictly job, she decided to take it.
"She absolutely loves being a radio presenter, and after stepping away from her BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show a year ago, she took time to think about what she wanted. She knows so many people at the commercial station and can't wait to get started."
Zoe competed on Strictly as a contestant before she fronted its BBC 2 spin-off, Strictly: It Takes Two, until 2021. It comes after she said on her Dig It podcast with Jo Whiley that she was "working through the seven stages of grief and rejection."
But she is anything but bitter about the successful trio who landed the hosting gig. She went on to reassure viewers that the reality show is in "safe hands" and branded the chosen presenters "fabulous". She explained: "I'm so thrilled for them. And hopefully at a later date, we'll be able to talk about them in more detail.
"I was so chuffed to even be in the mix. There were some pretty amazing people who didn't even make it into the mix." Despite huge shake-ups on the programme, including the presenter roles, the upcoming series will see the judging panel remain unchanged.
Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke will be returning to the judging panel. Meanwhile, several professional dancers were axed from the dance floor ahead of the new series.
However, last year's winner Carlos Gu, 2024 champ Dianne Buswell, Nikita Kuzmin, Katya Jones, and Alexis Warr will return to the ballroom. Five professionals announced their departures from the show this spring, bidding farewell to Gorka Márquez, Karen Hauer, Luba Mushtuk, Michelle Tsiakkas and Nadia Bychkova.
