Zoe Ball addresses 'chaos' at home as children diagnosed with same condition as her

Lydia Davies
Thu, 23 Apr 2026 18:04:51 +0000

Zoe Ball has revealed she and her two children all live with the same condition, describing their household dynamic as “chaos”.

The television presenter made the admission during a conversation with her close friend Jo Whiley on their Dig It podcast.

"I always wang on about having ADHD," Ms Ball said, noting around 5 per cent of people are estimated to have the neurodevelopmental condition.

Both Nell and Woody, her children with former husband Norman Cook, have also been diagnosed.

TRENDING

Stories

Videos

Your Say

The broadcaster, who has been widely tipped as a potential new presenter for Strictly Come Dancing, spoke candidly about the challenges of managing a home where three family members share the condition.

Ms Ball explained it was her daughter Nell’s diagnosis that helped her recognise her own ADHD.

She said Nell’s medication "really helped her to focus".

The radio DJ added: "But it's been learning about their situation and how they deal with things that I've learned about my own (ADHD) and the carnage and the mess."

The presenter described herself as "like a whirlwind", admitting maintaining order can be particularly difficult.

"Sometimes things can get really messy and then you get to the point of I've got to sort this out," she explained.

"And when you've got ADHD, you're so easily distracted."

Ms Ball said the family has found an unexpected source of stability in their lodger, whose structured approach has helped bring balance to the home.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

David Haye labels Adam Thomas 'fake' as he speaks out following I'm A Celeb feud: 'Playing victim!'

ITV I'm A Celeb bosses break silence over 'kicking' claims amid Ryan Thomas feud with Jimmy Bullard

I'm A Celeb fans accuse ITV of 'making it up as they go along' after 'unfair' Ashley Roberts exit

"There's three ADHD-ers... three quite gregarious people... and then there's the lodger who's quite ordered and very regimented," she said.

"That's the way he survives and he gets through his stuff."

Ms Ball added: "He's bought a bit of calm and order into this house of chaos. Which I never realised would be so appreciated… Thank you for bringing calm and order into a house of chaos because it makes such a difference."

Despite this, Ms Ball acknowledged daily life can still be challenging, describing the emotional toll of ADHD as “really tough” at times.

"I think if you have ADHD you take things so personally and so to heart and those extremes of emotions can be quite hard to handle sometimes," she said.

The presenter also linked her undiagnosed condition to her well-documented party lifestyle in the 1990s

"I would never let anyone leave the party.

"This is probably why I partied probably for 10 years too long," she recalled, adding that her son Woody displayed similar behaviour as a child.

Speaking about Nell, Ms Ball praised her daughter’s resilience.

"She's sassy as hell and I know she's going to be okay out there in the big wide world, because she's strong-willed and she's tough," she said.