Zoe Ball shares mum's final moments with sweet tribute to her son Woody
The BBC Radio 2 DJ was by her mum's bedside in the hours before she announced Julia had died after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
BBC Radio 2 DJ Zoe Ball has shared a touching tribute to her late mother, Julia, revealing the poignant final moments they spent together. The broadcaster announced the heartbreaking news of her mother's death on Wednesday (April 24), just days after revealing that Julia had been moved into a hospice following a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
In the hours leading up to her announcement, Zoe disclosed that she and her brother Jamie were at their mother's bedside. She also shared a tender moment from Julia's last hours with her fans.
She posted about tuning in to underground music station 1BTN, where her son Woody Cook is employed. She revealed that they were all listening together and that Julia was "proud" of her grandson.
Zoe penned: "Listening to my boys radio show on @1btnradio with my bro jamie @tikikontiki at our Mums bedside. go @woody_cook Granny is so proud of you."
Woody, who the radio broadcaster o-parents with ex-husband Norman Cook (also known as British DJ Fatboy Slim), also took to Instagram to pay his respects. "Today I say goodbye to Granny J, thank you for being a wonderful woman," the 23 year old expressed, alongside a throwback photo with his grandmother.
The radio DJ concluded her tribute with the words: "Sleep tight dear Mama. Thank you for teaching us how to love unconditionally, to always show courage and empathy, and how, even in the darkest of days, laughter is the greatest of gifts. We are bereft without you but will hold so tight to each other."
She recently opened up about the heartwarming reconciliation with her mother following a 14-year separation. Having been only two when her parents split, Zoe was brought up by her father, famed children's TV host Johnny Ball, and her stepmother Di.
The TV star didn't reunite with her mother until reaching her late teens, despite sending birthday cards that went unanswered. The turning point came with an unexpected invite to her mother's 40th birthday celebration.
"I could hardly breathe," Zoe recounted to the Mirror back in 1997. "My heart started pounding like mad. I suddenly panicked: 'What if we hate each other? ' But when her mother answered the door, her fears melted away."
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However, her anxiety dissipated the moment her mother opened the door.
"Mum hadn't changed a bit, except she didn't seem quite so tall," Zoe recalled fondly. "We spent such a lovely first day together... lots of crying and girlie emotion."
