After months of playful teasing and coy references, the identity of Zoe Ball's mystery boyfriend has finally been confirmed. The beloved broadcaster, 55, has been revealed to be in a relationship with BAFTA-winning production designer Mathieu Weekes, 49.
A Seaside Stroll Confirms the Romance
The couple were recently spotted enjoying a low-key, affectionate stroll along the coast near Brighton, where Zoe now resides. Beaming with happiness, Zoe was seen walking arm-in-arm with Mathieu, both bundled up against the coastal weather. She wore a beanie hat and an animal-print scarf during the intimate outing in her hometown.
This sighting comes after the TV and radio star moved her new beau into her seaside home last year, a fact she confirmed just weeks before this public appearance.
The Award-Winning Partner
Mathieu Weekes is a highly respected figure in the television industry. An award-winning production designer, he founded his company, Bizibot, in 2012 after beginning his career as a scenic carpenter. His impressive portfolio includes work on some of the UK's biggest and most popular shows.
He won a BAFTA Craft Award for his work on the 2021 series of I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! and has also received Emmy nominations. His other notable credits include hit programmes like The Traitors, Love Island, and Squid Game: The Challenge.
Zoe had previously hinted on her podcast that her partner had "more awards than her," a playful nod to Mathieu's decorated career.
How They Met
The pair's paths crossed in a fittingly creative setting. They met whilst working on the 2023 talent show Mamma Mia! – I Have a Dream, which was filmed in Greece. Mathieu was responsible for the set design, and Zoe presented the series, sparking a connection that has now blossomed into a public romance.
Zoe's Candid Confessions on Love and 'Smells'
In the lead-up to this revelation, Zoe had been increasingly open about her new relationship on her Dig It podcast, which she co-hosts with friend Jo Whiley. She had affectionately referred to her live-in partner as "The Lodger," hinting that his work could take him away from the UK for months at a time.
In a remarkably candid recent episode, Zoe divulged some very personal details about what she finds "sexy" in a partner. She confessed to having a particular fondness for her partner's natural scent.
"Sniffing pits is sexy though," she stated. "I've often had this thing, when I've been sort of dating someone, I love smelling their armpits. I know it sounds weird, but if you love someone, you've got to love all their smells."
She elaborated, describing it as her "favourite thing to do," especially after time apart. "I'm like sniffing in the armpits, and I get a right old look. I'm like, I like that smell. It's a good smell."
Zoe connected this to a universal experience of young love, borrowing a partner's clothes to keep their scent close. She even admitted to a superstitious habit: "I have a thing that if my partner goes away, I don't like to wash the bed until they get back. A, because I'm worried they might not come back, and B, I love the smell. I love the smell of them on the pillows."
A New Chapter After Personal Challenges
This new relationship marks a fresh start for Zoe, following a period of significant personal and professional change. Her last public relationship was with construction worker Michael Reed, which ended in 2023 after five years. Prior to that, she was in a relationship with cameraman Billy Yates, who tragically died by suicide in 2017.
Professionally, Zoe dramatically stepped away from her Radio 2 weekend show in December, a move she has linked to a desire to spend more time with loved ones. This decision followed the profound grief of losing her mother, Julia Peckham, to cancer in April 2024, which she described as "a crazy, awful, hideous nightmare."
Despite her split from ex-husband Norman Cook, aka Fatboy Slim, in 2018, the pair have maintained an enduringly close friendship and successful co-parenting relationship for their two children, Woody and Nelly. Zoe recently confirmed her new romance in an interview, whilst also gushing about the continued strength of her bond with Norman, whom she still considers a "soulmate."
The revelation of Mathieu Weekes as her partner concludes months of speculation and hints, painting a picture of a happy new chapter for the broadcaster by the sea with her award-winning 'lodger.'
