ZOE Ball will return to BBC Radio Two in the spring for a “new adventure”.
The DJ broke down in tears as she presented her final Breakfast Show today.
In an emotional final speech on air, Zoe surprised listeners by revealing she’ll be back from March next year.
It’s not yet known what her new role on the station will be.
Zoe signed off after six years on the job, saying of her replacement Scott Mills: “Dear Scott will look after you in the New Year. He’s one of the good’uns.
“You’re going to have a lot of fun together.
“I’ll see you in the spring, popping up here on Radio Two for new adventures.
“As the song says, you give a little love and it all comes back to you.
“I have most definitely felt that love from you my listeners. I feel very lucky to have been here.
“I send buckets of love out to you and your dear ones this Christmas.
“It’s been very special. Take care of yourself, lovely peeps, my top cats.”
Stars including Cher, Kylie Minogue, David Tennant and Strictly’s Oti Mabuse were among those who sent their well-wishes to the presenter on her last day.
She quit the top BBC job last month to “focus on family” following the death of her mum.
Zoe is being replaced by former Radio 1 DJ Scott who she hailed as a “close friend for years” and saying she’s “beyond thrilled” he’s taking over her spot as it’s “always been his dream”.
Zoe was born in Blackpool and is daughter of the children’s TV presenter Johnny Ball and his wife Julia.
She appeared on television at a young age as part of the studio audience of the Saturday morning children’s show, Saturday Superstore when her father was a guest.
The star began her career in broadcasting as a presenter on the pre-school programme Playdays.
After various behind the scenes roles, she earned a spot as a regular host of Top of the Pops, when she alternated with the likes of Jayne Middlemiss and Jo Whiley.
In 1996, she was chosen to front BBC One‘s saturday morning show Live & Kicking, which led to stints on The Big Breakfast on Channel 4.
But she maintained a huge presence on the radio as she was chosen to be the co-host of BBC Radio 1 Breakfast alongside Kevin Greening in October 1997.
Zoe was later appointed the sole host of the show in a groundbreaking move by the corporation as she was the first female DJ to hold the post.
The presenter chose to leave the station in March 2000 to start a family, where she was succeeded by Sara Cox.
As a mainstream face in TV through the noughties, she hosted a range of huge programmes for ITV, including the Brit Awards in 2002, Extinct in 2006, and both Soapstar Superstar and Grease Is The Word in 2007.
In mid-2002, she returned to radio when she joined Xfm (later known as Radio X), when she was the voice of the weekday drivetime show until December 2003. In 2004, she stood in for Ricky Gervais while he filmed the second series of The Office.
In October 2005, she appeared as a contestant on the third series of Strictly Come Dancing, where she was partnered with Ian Waite, The star impressed viewers with her footwork and the duo waltzed into third place.
In 2011, she returned to the franchise as she took over as the host of the magazine spin-off show, It Takes Two.
She also filled in for Claudia Winkleman on the main show in 2014, when The Traitors star took leave after her daughter suffered serious burn injuries.
After 10 years fronting the show, Zoe announced she was quitting her role on BBC Two in May 2021.
Zoe’s journey in BBC Radio 2 started in 2006 when she fronted specialist documentaries. Over the years she sat in for names such as Dermot O’Leary, Ken Bruce and Chris Evans.
After several shake-ups, she returned to the station on a permanent basis when she took over Dermot’s Saturday afternoon slot between 3pm and 6pm.
In October 2018, Chris Evans moved to Virgin Radio and he personally announced that Zoe would take over his popular slot. She started presenting the breakfast show on 14 January 2019.
