Zoe Ball's dad Johnny admits 'I upset her' after comment about her career backfires
Johnny Ball, father of popular broadcaster Zoe Ball, has confessed to once upsetting his daughter with a quip about her career. The 87-year-old TV veteran recalled how Zoe didn't take kindly to his jesting reference to her as an "autocue reader".
In a chat with The i Newspaper, he shared: "Zoe is working well with her generation. I upset her once when I joked, 'Here's my daughter, Zoe, the autocue reader.' I never did that again. She wants to be respected as a broadcaster - and she is."
The former Think of a Number presenter lauded Zoe's innate comedic flair, adding: "When I was a stand-up, it was all about turning your mind to get a comedy line in the moment, and Zoe's got that natural comedic ability too, almost as if she trained to be a comedian."
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He playfully speculated on who would triumph in a joke-off between them, saying: "Who would win a joke-off between Zoe and me? Me, really, because of the jokes, but Zoe would win with her witticisms. Occasionally, as a communicator, you need a line which is barbed and has a sting to it, and she's learned to do that brilliantly."
Johnny also revealed he had never formally offered career guidance to Zoe or his other two children, although he wished they had sought his advice more frequently. "They don't because they're forging their own way. It's a pity, but they're fine," he expressed.
Zoe, Johnny's most famous child from his late ex-wife Julia Ball, has two half-brothers, Nick and Dan, from Johnny's second marriage to Diane.
Following in her father's footsteps, the 55-year-old delved into children's programming at the start of her career before transitioning to mainstream television and radio. Her impressive portfolio includes presenting Strictly: It Takes Two and hosting the BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show prior to her move to BBC Radio 2.
Recently, she's emerged as a leading candidate to front Strictly Come Dancing after Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman stepped down last year.
With experience presenting the spin-off series and competing on the show herself in 2005 alongside Ian Waite, fans believe she's ideally suited for the role.
Speaking to The Sunday Times about the rumours, Zoe said: "Obviously, there's a part of me that would love to do it. But I will still be watching, whoever hosts. This is the hilarious thing - it's all anyone talks to me about."
She added: "At the moment, I am in mourning for Tess and Claud because I love those girls. I think everyone's name is being thrown into the mix."
The presenter also highlighted her appreciation for the programme and her continued friendship with Ian Waite, noting: "It's so joyful, and it's live telly, which is another thing that people don't give the girls enough credit for. That show is a beast."
"Whoever gets to do it has a tough act to follow," she concluded.