Zoe Ball shares her sorrow over her mum's death as she learns about family history in return of Who Do You Think You Are?
Julia died weeks after being diagnosed with cancer back in 2024
Zoe Ball has revealed her ‘sadness’ ahead of her appearance on Who Do You Think You Are?.
Next week (May 26), viewers will see Zoe – accompanied by her telly legend dad Johnny Ball – explore her ancestory.
The pair uncover an unexpected connection to Scotland and a tale of hardship and resilience that took the family from industrial 19th century Glasgow to Bolton. On her late mum’s side there’s a heartbreaking story of psychiatric illness and more migration.
For Zoe, taking part in the programme proved to be emotional, following the death of her mum Julia in 2024. Julia died weeks after being diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer.
Zoe Ball on her emotional Who Do You Think You Are? episode
Asked what made her want to take part in Who Do You Think You Are?, Zoe – who was recently rejected for the Strictly hosting role – told the BBC: “I wanted to know more about my background. I mostly grew up with my dad and didn’t reconnect with my mum until my late teens. But I know she was always really keen to look into her family history.
“Because of that, I wanted to understand more about that side of my family. Especially after losing her two years ago.”
She added: “It was really fascinating to learn where she came from and discover more about my ancestors. In particular, learning about her mother and the challenges she faced with her mental health made me feel much closer to that side of the family.”
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‘It made me feel quite sad’
It was a journey tinged with sadness, though, following the loss of her mother, as Zoe explained how she wished she’d been able to share her findings with her beloved mum.
“Although we became much closer as I got older, I didn’t really grow up with my mum. So it was very interesting to learn more about her mother, Peggy, and to understand that because of Peggy’s mental health struggles, my mum Julia also missed out on time with her own mother growing up.
“I know my mum was really interested in finding out more about her family history, so it made me feel quite sad that I wasn’t able to share this experience with her after losing her two years ago.”
Zoe added: “Going on this journey has really allowed me to feel closer to my mum’s side of the family, and I’m really glad I got to learn more about where they came from.”
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