Zoe Ball has revealed she has been battling a painful health condition most days which has left her with ‘awful’ headaches. 

The DJ and presenter, 54, announced she was quitting her breakfast show earlier this month to ‘focus on family’ as she handed over the reigns to her ‘bestie’ Scott Mills.

Taking to Instagram on Wednesday, Zoe shared with fans her early wake-up calls have been made worse as she is in agonising pain from TMJ. 

TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint, which is the joint that connects your lower jaw to your skull in front of each ear.

TMJ disorders (TMDs) 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 jaw movement or locking, dizziness and vision problems. 

Zoe Ball has revealed she has been battling a painful health condition most days which has left her with ‘awful’ headaches

On Wednesday, Zoe shared with fans she wakes up most days in pain from TMJ

The DJ and presenter, 54, announced she was quitting her breakfast show earlier this month to ‘focus on family’ as she handed over the reigns to her ‘bestie’ Scott Mills

Uploading a pH๏τos of herself before and after getting a facial to relax the muscles, Zoe wrote: ‘I have TMJ and wake most days with awful headaches from tension & jaw clenching. 

‘So grateful to Helen @thesculptresslondon for her magic. this is my face after i’ve seen her, check out my face before – yikes – picture 2. can’t recommend her enough. she also has the greatest playlists. thank you H and to @just.__.tiff for the intro.’ 

Zoe was the BBC’s highest-paid on-air female presenter in 2023/24 with a salary between £950,000 and £954,999, ranking her second on the list of top-earning talent behind Gary Lineker, according to the corporation’s annual report published in July. 

The presenter had taken a mysterious six week absence hosting over the summer – with Scott stepping in as her replacement – before she returned in September. 

Zoe will host her last slot on December 20 before Scott, who currently hosts Radio 2’s weekday afternoon programme from 2 – 4pm, begins fronting the programme from early January. 

Announcing the news to listeners on her morning show, she said: ‘After six years of fun times alongside you all on the breakfast show, I’ve decided it’s time to step away from the early alarm call and start a new chapter.’

The veteran presenter said she was ‘thrilled’ to reveal her good friend Scott, as her replacement, telling listeners: ‘Scott and I go way back to our Radio 1 days, when he was doing early mornings before me. He’s been a close friend for years, and I’m beyond thrilled it’s him taking over the Breakfast Show.

‘Breakfast has always been his dream, and what a year he’s had – from racing around the world to his beautiful wedding to Sam. He’s not only a blooming brilliant producer but one of the best in radio. I can’t wait to tune in on the school run!’.

Uploading a pH๏τos of herself after before (left) and after getting a facial to relax the muscles, Zoe wrote: ‘I have TMJ and wake most days with awful headaches from tension & jaw clenching’

As one of the corporation’s top earners, Zoe is sacrificing a £950,000-a-year job by stepping down from her radio show

Zoe will host her last slot on December 20 before Scott Mills, who currently hosts Radio 2’s weekday afternoon programme from 2 – 4pm, begins fronting the programme from early January.

What is TMJ and what are the symptoms? 

TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint, which is the joint that connects your lower jaw to your skull in front of each ear. 

TMJ disorders (TMDs) are a group of conditions that affect the TMJ and the muscles that control jaw movement, 

Symptoms of TMD include:

pain around your jaw, ear and templeclicking, popping or grinding noises when you move your jawa headache around your templesdifficulty opening your mouth fullyyour jaw locking when you open your mouth

The pain may be worse when chewing and when you feel stressed.

TMD can also stop you getting a good night’s sleep.

Credit: NHS 

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Scott joined his friend on her show following her announcement and said he was ‘beyond excited’ to become host.

He said: ‘Zoe and I have been such good friends now for over 25 years and have spent much of that time as part of the same radio family here at Radio 2 and also on Radio 1. She’s done an incredible job on this show over the past six years, and I am beyond excited to be handed the baton.

‘It feels ever since recording my first shows as a kid for an audience of one, my mum, all roads since have led to this amazing opportunity. It really is a lifelong dream come true to follow in the footsteps of Sir Terry, Chris and Zoe to be the new presenter of the Radio 2 Breakfast Show.’

Now, she is reportedly in discussions to join streaming giant Netflix with plans to return to her ‘TV roots’.

The presenter recently split from her long term partner Michael Reed, 53 (pictured 2021) 

Zoe has two children with ex-husband Norman Cook;  Woody, 23, (pictured) and Nelly, 14 

The presenter is no stranger to TV and has previously appeared on Celebrity Gogglebox, The Masked Dancer and, in 2023, fronting talent contest Mamma Mia!.

A source told The Sun: ‘After all, she sees her contemporaries like Claudia Winkleman, Tess Daly, and Davina McCall appearing on prime-time shows. 

‘It seems there’s never been a better time to be a fifty-something woman in TV presenting, and Zoe already brings with her a huge following.’

Zoe became a well known face after shooting to fame in the 1990s, presenting BBC One’s children’s show Live & Kicking as well as Top Of The Pop.

In 2019, she took over hosting the Radio 2 Breakfast Show but has now announced she wants to reduce her work commitments.

And it appears Zoe won’t have to rush into anything as it appears she will be taking on a more behind the scenes roll. 

As one of the corporation’s top earners, Zoe is sacrificing a £950,000-a-year job by stepping down from her radio show.

But she isn’t stepping away from the BBC and is widely expected to remain on a hefty – albeit reduced – salary.

A source told The Daily Mail: ‘It all feels like smoke and mirrors.

‘Zoe is loved by the upper echelons and the job is demanding – five days getting up at the crack of dawn is hard.

‘But the truth is that she will be handed a plum new show for which she will be paid hundreds of thousands of pounds, despite her listening figures dropping mᴀssively.’

The veteran presenter said she was ‘thrilled’ to reveal her good friend Scott, as her replacement, telling listeners: ‘Scott and I go way back to our Radio 1 days, when he was doing early mornings before me. He’s been a close friend for years, and I’m beyond thrilled it’s him taking over the Breakfast Show.

‘Breakfast has always been his dream, and what a year he’s had – from racing around the world to his beautiful wedding to Sam. He’s not only a blooming brilliant producer but one of the best in radio. I can’t wait to tune in on the school run!’.

Scott joined his friend on her show following her announcement and said he was ‘beyond excited’ to become host.

He said: ‘Zoe and I have been such good friends now for over 25 years and have spent much of that time as part of the same radio family here at Radio 2 and also on Radio 1. She’s done an incredible job on this show over the past six years, and I am beyond excited to be handed the baton.

‘It feels ever since recording my first shows as a kid for an audience of one, my mum, all roads since have led to this amazing opportunity. It really is a lifelong dream come true to follow in the footsteps of Sir Terry, Chris and Zoe to be the new presenter of the Radio 2 Breakfast Show.’