Zoe Ball, BBC Radio 2 star, took time off from her Breakfast show in March 2024 to care for her mother, Julia Peckham,
after she was diagnosed with cancer. On Instagram, Zoe shared, “Our beautiful Mama Julia has been diagnosed with cancer, which breaks my heart.”
She expressed gratitude for the doctors, nurses, and support staff, saying, “My brother Jamie and I are in awe of how well they are taking care of Mom.”
After returning to her show on April 17, Zoe revealed that Julia had been moved into hospice care, noting, “Things are pretty hard for the family right now.”
A week later, on April 24, Zoe announced Julia’s passing at 74 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. She honored her mother on social media, writing,
“Sleep tight, dear Mama. Thank you for showing us how to love without conditions.”
Julia was previously married to TV host Johnny Ball, with whom she had Zoe in 1970.
Despite a challenging relationship following her parents’ split, Zoe and Julia grew close in recent years, especially after the death of Julia’s husband, Richard, in 2013.