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Announcing their split in 2016, Zoe Ball and her husband Fatboy Slim (real name Norman Cook) memorably said they had reached the end of their rainbow.
However, it must be recognized that in the following years, rainbow or not, they managed to forge a solid friendship.
And now friends say the once power couple are “spending more time together than ever” as Radio 2 DJ Zoe deals with the death of her mother Julia.
A local friend in Hove, East Sussex, said: “They always seem to be together.” And another said the couple started going to their son Woody’s DJ gigs together (something they didn’t do when Zoe was with her previous boyfriend, Michael Reed).
Over the summer, Zoe moved from her £2million cottage in the village of Newick to a house in Brighton, which will make it easier for her and Cook to co-parent and also see each other.
Beginning: Norman and Zoe’s wedding day in 1999
Now friends say the former power couple is “spending more time together than ever.”
They now meet up for family occasions, but also for Sunday lunches with Woody, 23, and his daughter Nelly, 14. They were photographed in a cafe with a group of friends and their children over the summer.
Zoe took a six-week break from her morning show in August and September to deal with “grief, anxiety and depression,” according to a source. His mother, Julia, died in April, just 12 weeks after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Ball and Norman met in 1997 in Ibiza, when she was on the island partying for Radio 1 and he was performing. They married in 1999 and had Woody the following year. In 2003 they briefly split after Norman, now 61, discovered that Zoe had been unfaithful with DJ Dan Peppe. Cook told reporters: “I still love her.” If you love someone, you will forgive them. They reconciled and, in 2010, welcomed their second daughter, Nelly. Both had alcohol addiction problems during their marriage, although they are now teetotalers, after rehabilitation.
In an interview, Norman credited his ex-wife for keeping him grounded when he was at the peak of his fame. ‘Zoe was very good to me about that, because she knew the fame game; and we controlled each other.’
In 2017, Zoe found love again with her old friend, cameraman Billy Yates. Their relationship was cut short when Billy took his own life. She then dated construction company boss Michael Reed for five years.
In 2018, Norman started dating Zoe’s close friend Nicola Lokko, which left his ex feeling “scared”. Friends say the romance ended a few years ago and he has dated again; although it is not believed that he has a serious girlfriend.
Spectacular new role for Hannah, Hollywood’s darling
The inexorable rise of Hannah Waddingham continues. The actress, who rose to fame with Ted Lasso, will play an assassin alongside Oscar winner Octavia Spencer.
The as-yet-untitled TV series will be a sort of odd couple meets Thelma and Louise, with two best friends, one of them a hitwoman, who go on the run after a job goes wrong.
Spencer says she’s already training for the action sequences. ‘I’m going to do some physical things. I’m literally training. Getting up these days is training! I have some moves. Some serious measures. Regarding the series, which is in pre-production and will be released on Prime Video, Spencer adds: ‘They are both women of a certain age who have known each other for 20 years. But it turns out that my best friend is a murderer. We all thought at the same time: who would we like to play this beautiful, funny and daring assassin? And we all said: Hannah. We went through the process of introducing it to her and she said, ‘Absolutely. I’m in!’
“I can tell you this: I have never been so excited about anything.”
Hannah Waddingham attends the 2024 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises
Proof that diamonds are a girl’s best friend
Jewel thief Joan Hannington, the inspiration for hit ITV drama Joan, starring Sophie Turner, has been enjoying a media merry-go-round thanks to the show. Last week, she was guest of honor at a party where £250,000 worth of diamonds were on display, courtesy of jewelers at The Diamond Store. Although she wrote a book about her life of crime, Hannington (below) says she is not worried about the police renewing their interest in her.
“Cops were more iffy than we were 40 years ago,” he joked. “And my life is completely different now.” Hannington, known as the ‘Godmother’ in London’s underworld, was only prosecuted for stealing a car and using a stolen checkbook.
More departures from the YMU entertainment agency
Another departure from the YMU entertainment agency is coming. I hear Take That are set to follow their manager Chris Dempsey out of the company. In June I revealed that Strictly star Claudia Winkleman was out, with Amanda Holden and Emily Atack leaving last year. Others who were served by YMU, but no longer, include Leigh Francis, Angela Scanlon, Rob Rinder and Gabby Logan. The agency continues to represent Rylan, Simon Cowell, Ant & Dec, Vernon Kay and others.
Where is Phoebe Waller Bridge?
Where was Phoebe Waller-Bridge this week? The actress and writer who has a $20 million a year deal with Prime Video was not at the company’s high-profile ‘Trailblazers’ event in London, which was attended by all female top brass, as well as producers such as Amy Pascal , and actresses like Bryce Dallas Howard.
She has now delivered her first full script since signing the deal in 2019, for a live-action Lara Croft. But, surprisingly, neither she nor her project were mentioned.
Ridley Scott comes to the rescue of troubled Bee Gees musical biopic
From Maximus to Massachusetts: Sir Ridley Scott rides to the rescue of the Bee Gees’ troubled musical biopic.
Scott, who recently completed Gladiator II, now turns his attention to the film about the Gibb brothers, which will begin filming in London and Miami next year.
The project has been around for a while. Paramount obtained the rights to tell the story of Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb (who sold 220 million albums worldwide) and, more importantly, use their music, in 2019, a year after the film’s release. Queen biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody.
Kenneth Branagh was originally attached as director, with Ben Elton chosen to write the script and Graham King (who produced Bohemian Rhapsody) again serving as producer.
But by 2022 there was a new director, John Carney. And a new screenwriter: John Logan (Gladiator, Skyfall).
Then Carney stepped aside and Lorene Scafaria was going to direct. And now, the Logan script has appealed to Scott. One of the big questions is who could play Gibbs, and there is speculation that Scott could ask his Maximus to put on some tight pants.
Paul Mescal is also a talented singer and dancer, which adds to the talk. A spokesperson for Scott did not respond to requests for comment.
Coincidentally, Scott already has a connection to the Bee Gees. Almost 50 years ago, his legendary manager, Robert Stigwood, asked him to make a film, Castle Accident, starring the band.
But the image, set in the Middle Ages, never came to fruition. Maybe fortunately.
Priyanka: I finally got the same salary!
Priyanka Chopra Jonas, star of Citadel S2, poses during Prime Video Presents Trailblazers
Priyanka Chopra Jonas reveals that she received the same salary for the first time in her career in Citadel, the mega-budget spy drama on Prime Video.
At an event in London this week, she and Amazon Studios boss Jen Salke praised the $300 million drama and its payday as evidence of a culture shift.
Chopra Jonas, who plays Nadia Sinh, former lover of fellow spy Mason Kane (Richard Madden) in the series, said the industry needed women in positions of power to put a female character in charge of a series in which “you would have expected Tom Cruise or Bruce Willis, or a guy who saves the world over and over again.’
And he added: ‘We need women behind the camera. We need women in roles of power. We need women to make decisions and, you know, I have to say it was the first time in my career that I received pay parity. I didn’t even think it was possible.
‘Did that happen because the director of the study was a woman? Maybe. But you know that’s how the landscape changes, when women support women.
Salke, for his part, revealed that their professional alliance arose from a marathon meeting over drinks at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills. “We talked about everything we wanted to achieve around women, around strong characters,” she recalled.
Citadel had a troubled genesis. Its initial six-part run involved competitive edits, test screenings, and executives leaving due to creative differences.
The second series has just started filming in London.
Meanwhile, two related spin-offs are about to be screened, in languages other than English. Citadel: Diana is set in Italy; and Citadel: Honey Bunny in India.
Is an Oscar rematch on the horizon for Tilda and Saoirse?
Seventeen years ago, Tilda Swinton and Saoirse Ronan were nominated for Oscars, and Tilda won for Michael Clayton. Now it is possible that a rematch will take place next March. Saoirse is attracting rave reviews for The Outrun, in which she plays a recovering alcoholic; and Tilda for The Room Next Door,
in which she plays a woman with a terminal illness.
Only? Oh no it’s not
Priscilla Presley poses as the Evil Queen during a photo call for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the New Wimbledon theater in 2012.
Priscilla Presley, seen here in Snow White, has appeared in panto several times in the UK and is apparently the loveliest co-star.
Alan Carr said on his podcast this week: “Someone I know did panto with Priscilla, and she asked everyone out on the last day and said, ‘I found this really cute French bistro, you’re going to love it.’ It’s so unique! ‘ And it was Café Rouge.
dame Maureen Lipman reflects on name change after getting engaged
Introducing Mo Truskolaski, aka Dame Maureen Lipman. The actress, 78, who just got engaged to businessman David Turner (pictured), has been mulling a marital name change.
She said: ‘His original name was Truskolaski. And I think ‘Mo Truskolaski’ in The Importance of Being Earnest lights… I think that would be great.’ She added: “I’ve never really liked my name, but I’m too lazy to do anything to change it.”
Lipman’s husband, Jack Rosenthal, died in 2004; and his previous partner died after contracting Covid in 2021.