The daughter of children's TV presenter Johnny Ball, Zoë Ball was educated at a convent school in Buckinghamshire. Her first TV appearance was as a child in the studio audience of Saturday morning children's show Saturday Superstore, on which her father was appearing as a guest.

She began her television career as a runner at Granada Television and researcher on BSkyB. She worked as a researcher Read more...

Although known primarily for her TV work, it was in radio where Ball became a major British celebrity after she was recruited to co-host the BBC Radio 1 breakfast show in October 1997 with Kevin Greening. She eventually graduated to become the sole host - the first female DJ to do so. At this time, her hard-drinking, hard-partying antics contributed to the identification of the so-called "ladette Read more...

While at BBC Radio 1, Ball began a relationship with DJ and musician Norman Cook (a.k.a. Fatboy Slim). The couple married in August 1999.

The couple have one son, Woody (born December 2000), and live in Hove.

The marriage later survived a trial separation in early 2003, during which Ball had an affair with DJ Dan Peppe.