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Zoe Ball insists she is not leaving Strictly’s It Takes Two

The presenter won't ditch the show for her new radio gig

Rumours have swirled that Zoe Ball will quit It Takes Two because of her new Radio 2 Breakfast show, but she has confirmed that is not the case.

The 48-year-old has insisted she plans to do both jobs – even if it means taking a “nap” in between gigs!

She will be taking on both roles (Credit: Wenn)

Speaking at Radio 2 HQ, Zoe said: “I love It Takes Two and I’m like, ‘Get back — this is my show, I love it so much.’ So I am planning on doing both.”

The presenter added that she’s not sure how juggling the two commitments will work but she’s determined to make it a success.

“How that will work later in the year, I don’t know. There might have to be a nap during the day, but I love that show so much. I love the whole thing,” she explained.

She says nobody is taking her place on the show! (Credit: BBC)

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Zoe has been hosting Strictly Come Dancing spin-off It Takes Two since 2011, where she mans the show’s sofa and interviews the dancers and their celebrity partners.

Speaking ahead of her radio slot at the BBC, Zoe also shared her technique for getting rid of anxiety and self-doubt.

She revealed she has a trick to calm her nerves before going live on air.

Zoe heads to BBC studios for her radio show (Credit: Wenn)

The mum-of-two explained: “Back in the early days when I started doing It Takes Two on TV, I would get anxious, especially if you let all the voices in your head tell you really negative things about yourself.

“Someone taught me this really lovely thing, which is when you’re panicking or thinking, ‘I can’t do this, I can’t do this,’ you just say, ‘Right. Hi, negative thoughts. Stop bothering me. If you just wait there, I’m going to do this job, then I’ll come back and talk to you later.’”

She gets anxious, too (Credit: BBC)

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She admitted she was “terrified” when she first took over Claudia Winkleman’s presenting slot on the BBC spin-off seven years ago.

But now, the star, who is dating construction businessman Michael Reed, says she has learnt to ignore the “negative thoughts.”

We love your honesty, Zoe!

Have you ever had to balance two jobs? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think.


Aaliyah Ashfield
Digital Marketing Apprentice