BBC’s Johnny Ball confirms daughter Zoe is ‘in the mix’ for Strictly hosting gig

BBC veteran Johnny Ball has revealed his daughter Zoe is “in the mix” to take over the hosting gig from Tess Daly on Strictly Come Dancing. The children’s TV presenter, who has teamed up with BT Group and UK charity AbilityNet to support older people tackling online tasks, has addressed the ongoing rumours about his daughter’s future in TV. Last week, the broadcaster announced that she would be stepping down, but reassured listeners that she would “not be disappearing completely”.  

She is set to take over the lunchtime slot from presenter Emma Willis, with her last show airing on Saturday (December 20). But this isn’t the only career change the 55-year-old broadcaster could be looking at in the new year.

Since Tess and Claudia Winkleman announced that they will be leaving the BBC ballroom competition at the end of the year, speculation has been swirling about who could replace the dynamic duo.

This wouldn’t be the first time the broadcaster has appeared on the long-running show, after competing alongside her pro-dancer Ian Waite back in 2005. She then returned to the series in 2011, when she took over hosting the sister show, It Takes Two, from Claudia, a role she held for 10 years.

Now, fans are convinced she could make another comeback, this time as the host of the show following Tess and Claudia’s departure this Christmas. And it seems as though they’re not the only ones.

Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, Zoe’s dad Johnny revealed that “people are coming to” the mum-of-two to discuss the coveted role. He told us: “Nothing's going to be decided until after Easter, but she’s in the mix, and people are coming to her, but it’s too early to say.

“I think she would love it, I think she would love the job because she took over from Claudia on It Takes Two, and if anything, she did a better job than Claudia.”

Gushing over Claudia’s success, Johnny went on: “Claudia now is really the most powerful girl in television today, and rightly so because she’s a wonderful personality, she’s got a great wit, and she’s got a great presence, she’s wonderful.

“But so could Zoe, she could do a lot of things, and she won’t be short of work if they don’t give her that job. If she wanted to do it, she’d be good at it, of course, she would.”

It comes after Johnny teamed up with BT Group and UK charity AbilityNet to support older people tackling online tasks after finding his own difficulties with the online world.

He confessed: "I spent the best part of 50 years helping people's children understand science and maths in a fun, engaging way, but now it's the turn of today's parents I hope to influence in learning about technology, in order to make their everyday lives easier.

"For some, basic skills like booking a GP appointment or paying for your parking, using modern technology can seem daunting. I also feel that at times. It used to take me days to do basic online tasks that should take minutes.

"I still need to do some things. For example, for sending WhatsApp messages and other social media, I often learn from my wife, Di, or my daughter, Zoe. But the more skills you have, the more confidence you feel, so that with practice, you'll find you will be able to reclaim much of the time you took grappling with an app or a website.

"Take it from me, digital tasks are easier than you think. So, like me, you will feel a huge sense of achievement and joy when you get to the point of doing something new, comfortably."

BT Group's partnership with AbilitiyNet has now supported 13,000 people, with 5,000 benefitting from the courses this year alone. Alongside its digital skills courses, AbilityNet is launching a free 'how to stay safer online' webinar on January 28, 2026.