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Emotional Zoe Ball marks last BBC Radio show amid Strictly replacement rumours | Devon Live

By Meghna Amin

Emotional Zoe Ball marks last BBC Radio show amid Strictly replacement rumours | Devon Live

Zoe Ball has emotionally signed off from her final BBC Radio 2 programme amidst speculation of a potential new role with the broadcaster.

The 55-year-old announced earlier this month that she would be leaving her Saturday show, making today her last broadcast.

Zoe had previously stepped down from her breakfast show late last year, which was taken over by Scott Mills, and later announced her departure from her 1pm to 3pm slot.

Joined by a host of guests including Ricky Gervais, Joel Dommett, and Angela Hartnett for her farewell show, Zoe expressed her gratitude to her listeners: "It's just time for me to say thank you so much for listening on Saturday afternoons. Don't forget to look after the gorgeous Emma Willis when she joins you in the New Year."

She concluded with a heartfelt: "Merry Christmas, love ya!"

Earlier in the show, Zoe hinted at future plans, assuring Romesh Ranganathan: "It's my last Saturday show... I'm feeling like everybody else is feeling at this time of year... a bit like what that Madness record sounded!"

She continued: "I'm going to miss seeing you, but don't worry I won't be a stranger, I'll come and find you."

Romesh also alluded to the swirling rumours about Zoe's next move, teasing: "With this being your last show, there's been a lot of rumours, various whisperings from colleagues, people are asking me to ask you this, and I just want to put this rumoured to be, is it true you're leaving your Saturday show because of... Sally Traffic."

Zoe responded: "Let's put that down now, Sally and I have been in love with each other for a long time and we just decided we can't possibly work in the same building anymore because the magnetism is too huge. I love that woman to bits," reports Wales Online.

This follows speculation that Zoe could be replacing Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly, who revealed several weeks ago that this year's Strictly series - with tonight's final - would mark their last.

In a joint statement, they described their time on the programme as "an absolute dream" but said it "feels like the right time" had arrived to move on.

Tess - who earned a Guinness World Record for being the longest-serving presenter of the same dance competition television programme - has fronted Strictly since its inception, initially alongside Sir Bruce Forsyth. Claudia subsequently joined as co-presenter in 2014.

In a statement shared on Instagram, they wrote: "We have loved working as a duo and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream. We were always going to leave together and now feels like the right time.

"We will have the greatest rest of this amazing series and we just want to say an enormous thank you to the BBC and to every single person who works on the show. They're the most brilliant team and we'll miss them every day.

"We will cry when we say the last "keep dancing" but we will continue to say it to each other. Just possibly in tracksuit bottoms at home while holding some pizza."

Following the announcement of their departure, several names have been floated as potential replacements, including Rylan Clark, Holly Willoughby, It Takes Two presenters Janette Manrara and Fleur East, and Zoe.

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