Zoe Ball has spoken about the challenges of introducing new partners to her family. She has been dating BAFTA-winning production designer Mathieu Weekes for over a year. On her Dig It podcast, Ball admitted she has made mistakes in past relationships by introducing boyfriends to her children too quickly. According to Daily Mail - Home, Ball advised that it is okay to have a private life separate from children for a while when introducing new partners. She also said the right partner will respect her relationship with her kids and her ex, according to the same source. The current status of her relationship with Mathieu Weekes remains unclear.
Ball still maintains a close friendship with Norman Cook, known as Fatboy Slim, and the two co-parent their children Woody, 25, and Nelly, 16. At the time of their divorce, they explained they had grown apart, with Ball wanting to go out and have fun while Cook preferred a quiet life at home. According to Daily Mirror - 3am Showbiz, Ball described divorce as overwhelming on all fronts, worrying about kids, partner, and how it will all work out. She advised that while divorce is hard, you will come out the other side and everyone will be better in the end, according to the same source. How her children specifically feel about her dating life has not been publicly disclosed.
Before her current relationship with Weekes, Ball's last public relationship was with former construction worker Michael Reed. They were together for five years before splitting in 2023. Sources told The Sun that their relationship began to break down after Reed became 'a bit demanding'. Prior to Reed, Ball dated cameraman and technician Billy Yates, who died by suicide in May 2017 after a long battle with depression. The specific mistakes Ball made when introducing past boyfriends to her children have not been detailed beyond her general admission of rushing the process.
Ball is 55 years old, while Mathieu Weekes is 49. She quit her Saturday afternoon Radio 2 show in December 2023. Ball hosts the Digitpod podcast with Jo Whiley, where she has shared these personal reflections. According to Daily Mail - Home, Ball described that in the past she rushed introductions by welcoming someone in and showing them her kids and life, which was too much for everyone involved.
A listener on Ball's podcast recently shared a similar experience, revealing she left her 18-year marriage about a year and a half ago after feeling desperately unhappy and has begun seeing someone new but is anxious about telling her sons. The details of this listener's specific situation have not been disclosed. According to Daily Mail - Home, Ball responded to such experiences by describing that it is hard to leave a relationship when you know it's right, feeling awful for the person left and terrible for breaking up a family, but realizing it was exactly what needed to be done once the dust settles.