Zoe Ball has revealed she has been battling a painful health issue most days which has left her with “horrible” headaches.
The DJ and host, 54, announced she was leaving her morning show earlier this month to “focus on family” as she handed the reins to her “best friend” Scott Mills.
Taking to Instagram on Wednesday, Zoe shared with her fans that her early calls for attention had gotten worse as she suffers from agonizing pain due to TMJ.
TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint, which is the joint that connects the lower jaw to the skull in front of each ear.
TMJ disorders (TMD) are a group of conditions that affect the TMJ and the muscles that control jaw movement.
Symptoms include jaw, neck and shoulder pain, headaches, limited movement or locking of the jaw, dizziness and vision problems.
Uploading photos of herself before and after having a facial to relax her muscles, Zoe wrote: ‘I have TMJ and most days I wake up with terrible headaches due to tension and clenching my jaw.
Zoe Ball has revealed she has been battling a painful health issue most days which has left her with “horrible” headaches.
On Wednesday, Zoe shared with her fans that she wakes up most days in pain due to TMJ.
The DJ and host, 54, announced she was leaving her morning show earlier this month to “focus on family” as she handed the reins to her “best friend” Scott Mills.
‘I’m so grateful to Helen @thesculptresslondon for her magic. This is my face after seeing it, look at my face before – Ouch! Photo 2. I can’t recommend it enough. she also has the best playlists. thanks H and @just.__.tiff for the introduction.’
Zoe was the BBC’s highest-paid on-air presenter in 2023/24 with a salary of between £950,000 and £954,999, putting her second on the list of highest-earning talent behind Gary Lineker, according to the corporation’s annual report published in July. .
The presenter had been mysteriously absent for six weeks as host over the summer, with Scott stepping in as her replacement, before returning in September.
Now he is reportedly in talks to join streaming giant Netflix with plans to return to his ‘TV roots’.
The presenter is no stranger to television and has previously appeared on Celebrity Gogglebox, The Masked Dancer and, in 2023, fronting talent show Mamma Mia!.
A source said the sun: ‘After all, you watch contemporaries like Claudia Winkleman, Tess Daly and Davina McCall appear on prime-time shows.
“It seems there has never been a better time to be a fifty-something woman as a TV presenter, and Zoe already brings with her a huge following.”
Zoe became a well-known face after rising to fame in the 1990s, presenting BBC One children’s show Live & Kicking and Top Of The Pop.
Uploading photos of herself before (left) and after having a facial to relax her muscles, Zoe wrote: ‘I have TMJ and wake up most days with terrible headaches due to tension and clenching my jaw. “.
As one of the corporation’s highest earners, Zoe is sacrificing a £950,000-a-year job by quitting her radio show.
Zoe will present her final slot on December 20 before Scott Mills, who currently presents Radio 2’s weekday afternoon show from 2-4pm, begins presenting the show in early January.
In 2019, he took over hosting the Radio 2 breakfast show, but has now announced that he wants to reduce his work commitments.
And it looks like Zoe won’t have to rush into anything, as it looks like she’ll be taking on more of a behind-the-scenes role.
As one of the corporation’s highest earners, Zoe is sacrificing a £950,000-a-year job by quitting her radio show.
But he will not be leaving the BBC and is expected to maintain a sizeable, albeit reduced, salary.
A source told The Daily Mail: “It all seems like smoke and mirrors.”
‘Zoe is loved by those in high places and the work is demanding: five days to get up at dawn is difficult.
“But the truth is that he will be offered a fantastic new show for which he will be paid hundreds of thousands of pounds, even though his viewing figures have fallen massively.”
Zoe will present her final slot on December 20 before Scott, who currently presents Radio 2’s weekday afternoon show from 2-4pm, begins presenting the show in early January.
Announcing the news to listeners on his morning show, he said: “After six years of fun times alongside all of you on the breakfast show, I’ve decided it’s time to walk away from the early wake-up call and start a new chapter.” “.
The presenter recently split from her long-term partner Michael Reed, 53 (pictured in 2021).
Zoe has two children with her ex-husband Norman Cook; Woody, 23 years old (pictured) and Nelly, 14
The veteran presenter said she was “delighted” to reveal her good friend Scott as her replacement, telling listeners: “Scott and I go back to our Radio 1 a long time ago, when he was performing early in the morning before than me.” He’s been a close friend for years and I’m beyond excited for him to be taking over the Breakfast Show.
‘Breakfast has always been her dream, and what a year she’s had: from running around the world to her beautiful wedding to Sam. He is not only a brilliant and burgeoning producer, but also one of the best in radio. I can’t wait to tune in to the school tour!’
Scott joined his friend on her show following her announcement and said he was “beyond excited” to become a host.
He said: “Zoe and I have been very good friends for over 25 years and have spent much of that time as part of the same radio family here at Radio 2 and also at Radio 1. “She has done an incredible job on this program for over 25 years the last six years, and I am beyond excited to have the baton handed to me.
“It feels like since I recorded my first shows as a child for an audience of one person, my mother, all the roads since then have led me to this incredible opportunity. It really is a dream come true to follow in Sir Terry’s footsteps, Chris and Zoe to be the new presenter of the Radio 2 Breakfast Show.’