Zoe Ball’s ex-husband Norman Cook says they ‘gave up’ hiding kids

Zoe Ball jokes about only lasting ‘another two years’

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

Zoe Ball, 52 and her former husband Norman Cook, 59, married in 1999. Despite having a temporary separation in 2003, the married couple welcomed two children together, son Woody Cook, 22, and daughter Nelly, 12.

Norman, who is best known as legendary DJ Fatboy Slim, opened up about their family dynamics in a candid chat on the podcast Welcome to Rockwater In Conversation, hosted by Sophie Corbett.

The 59-year-old explained that neither he nor his ex-wife forced their children into showbiz and that they had spent several years attempting to keep them out of the spotlight.

The Praise You hitmaker revealed that both his children have followed in their parent’s footsteps as they also have taken up DJ’ing.

Zoe also has spent decades working as a presenter and DJ and currently fronts her breakfast show on Radio 2.

The former couple, who were often referred to as the “Posh and Becks of the E generation”, admittedly never “courted” media attention.

Norman said: “When my firstborn, Woody, was growing up we were defensive about him because Zoe and I signed up for this life.

“If you court celebrity or you court success then you can’t moan when it rebounds on you.

“We would have tabloid attention but we were always like, ‘leave the kids out of it. They’re innocent. They’re civilians.'”

He went on: “For 18 years we completely protected Woody. His [face] was pixellated anytime he was in a magazine. Totally protected him.”

But things swiftly changed when his eldest child bagged a place on the reality series, The Circle, that aired in 2019.

“Woody turns 18… what does he do? Goes on The Circle, a reality TV show, and shows his whole self, warts and all for a month on the telly,” Norman chuckled.

He added: “At that point, I gave up on the idea that you can shield your children. As you can see I’m not shy about Nelly seeing what I do, what my job looks like.”

Zoe and the former couple’s son Woody have made several appearances on Celebrity Gogglebox over the years.

“We haven’t pushed either of my children into showbiz,” he explained. “But growing up with me and Zoe as parents, they’re just into showbiz or showing off, or music, it’s just in their blood.”

He continued: “As a career move I think it’s a mix of nature and nuture. It’s in their genes.

“Growing up all they had was me and Zoe and all of our friends showing off all the time.”

The TV presenter, who previously hosted Strictly: It Takes Two, was married to Norman for 18 years.

They got married at Babington House in Somerset in 1999.

Although they split in January 2003, they got back together three months later.

In September 2016, the pair announced their separation after 18 years of marriage.

In an emotional tweet the pair expressed their sadness at the separation saying that they had: “come to the end of our rainbow.”

Source: Read Full Article