Zoe Ball turns her again on the BBC after Strictly Come Dancing snap

Zoe Ball has reportedly taken on a serious new radio position after lacking out on the prospect to entrance Strictly Come Dancing.

In Might, it was lastly confirmed that Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe would be the new presenters of the BBC programme.

Ball, 55, was closely linked with the position following the departure of long-time presenter Claudia Winkleman, with many followers seeing her as a pure successor given her lengthy historical past with the BBC dance franchise.

The choice reportedly left Ball disillusioned, though she has publicly supported the trio.

Now, after lacking out on the position, the previous BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Present presenter is about to hitch Biggest Hits Radio later this 12 months, marking her return to the airwaves simply months after leaving her long-running BBC position.

In line with experiences, the broadcaster determined to take the chance after discovering she would not land the coveted Strictly internet hosting gig.

A supply instructed The Solar: ‘Biggest Hits had wished her for some time and as quickly as Zoe heard in regards to the Strictly job she determined to take it.

‘She completely loves being a radio presenter, and after stepping again from her BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Present a 12 months in the past, she took time to consider what she wished.

‘She is aware of so many individuals on the industrial channel and may’t wait to get began.’

The transfer would see Ball observe within the footsteps of a number of high-profile BBC radio stars who’ve left the corporate for Biggest Hits Radio in recent times, together with Ken Bruce and Simon Mayo.

For a lot of listeners, Ball’s departure from Radio 2 on the finish of 2025 marked the tip of an period, because the presenter has led the channel’s flagship breakfast program since 2019, changing into the primary lady to current the present on a everlasting foundation.

After saying her departure, she stated she wished to spend extra time together with her household and deal with different initiatives.

In the meantime, Ball has been characteristically gracious about lacking Strictly.

In her Dig It podcast with Jo Whiley, she joked that she was presently ‘working via the seven levels of grief and rejection’ following the choice.

However any disappointment appeared short-lived. “I am so completely satisfied for them,” she stated of the brand new presenting workforce.

“And hopefully we will discuss it in additional element at a later date.”

She added: “I used to be so excited to even be within the combine. There have been some superb individuals who did not even get into the combo.”

Ball’s reference to Strictly goes again virtually 20 years. She joined the present in 2005 as a star contestant earlier than changing into one of many faces of the spin-off program It Takes Two, which she hosted from 2011 to 2021.

Her expertise with the format made her one of many bookmakers’ favorites when there was hypothesis about who might inherit the primary presenting position.

Whereas that chance could have handed her by, a transfer to Biggest Hits would give Radio Ball a high-profile new platform and reunite her with many acquainted faces from the industrial radio world.

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